PJO Zombie AU
by forbiddenquill
Summary: Percy doesn't know how it happened or why it happened but he is left with two choices now: to survive or to become one of them. Based on Viria's AU.
1. Chapter 1

"Jackson." Somebody nudged him.

"Go away," Percy muttered; he was having a nice dream of skating through the streets of New York, occasionally beating the wannabes. The wind felt good on his face and people yelped as he passed them. His heart soared with freedom and pride. He felt his lips curl into a grin but then somebody punched his shoulder lightly again.

"Jackson." The voice was full of venom and annoyance now.

The dream faded into the background and Percy raised his head, scowling slightly. Through blurred vision, he recognized the girl standing in front of him. She had long curly blonde hair which she tied in a ponytail and startling grey eyes. She looked like any other Californian girl out there and she would've been regarded as beautiful if she didn't have a scowl etched on her face as well. She was Annabeth Chase, the smartass in his class.

"Chase," Percy murmured, straightening up. It took a moment for him to remember his bearings. He was in the library and he had fallen asleep on the table while arranging the books. It was his punishment for skipping classes twice that week. The teachers couldn't have picked a more boring exercise. He would've liked it if he was forced to mop the first floor hallway; at least he could move around for his ADHD but arranging books? That was just plain torture for his Dyslexia.

"You drool in your sleep, by the way," Annabeth said in annoyance.

Percy wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth and glared at her. He never liked Annabeth; she was the complete opposite of him. She was hardworking in classes and was praised by her teachers. She was also the Student Class president and liked to spend time in the library. But Percy? He skipped half of his classes and fell asleep in most of them. He liked to skateboard; she liked to debate. He liked to joke around; she liked to take charge. They were fire and ice and it was obvious that she felt the same way about him.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Mr. Brunner told me to keep an eye on you," Annabeth replied coolly, crossing her arms.

"Well, you're doing a fantastic job then," Percy said.

"Whatever. Just hurry up. The librarian's about to close."

Percy was about to respond that he didn't give a shit or two about the librarian but Annabeth had a temper as bad as his. He knew because they've known each other since they were twelve and the bitter feelings between them had never ceased.

He sighed instead. "Fine." He picked up five books and heaved them into his arms. Annabeth returned to her table. As far as he knew, they were the only ones left here. It must've been really late now. They studied in Yancy Academy, a boarding school in New York. Percy wondered what Grover, his best friend, was doing right now. It must've been better than arranging some stupid History books.

He shoved them into the shelves according to their sizes. He would look down into his watch to see how much time had passed. To his dismay, less than ten minutes had just slipped by.

"Could you keep it down there, Jackson?" Annabeth's voice rang out in the silent library.

Percy glanced at the front desk. Of course, the librarian didn't mind the noise _she_ was making. Being president must have her perks then.

"As you wish, Wise Girl," Percy called back. He was immediately shushed by the librarian.

Annabeth stifled her laughter; Percy rolled his eyes.

He returned to his table full of books. Annabeth was two tables in front of him, doing her homework. She glanced up and her stormy grey eyes somehow lightened.

"You know," she said, "Based on your academic status, it seems as if there's nothing _but_ seaweed in your head."

"Are we really going to talk about how smart you are, Wise Girl?" Percy asked in annoyance.

"Yes," Annabeth said, smirking, "Seaweed Brain."

Percy made a face. Annabeth returned to her book, not hiding her delight at shutting him up.

For the next half hour, he kept arranging the books and Annabeth kept reading. Then just as the librarian was about to call it a day, a wailing noise suddenly ran throughout the entire school. Percy dropped the books he was holding and covered his ears. It was loud and greatly annoying. He turned to Annabeth as if _she_ was the one who had caused the fire alarm to go off but she looked as confused as he felt.

"What's going on?" she yelled to the librarian. She looked frustrated. Percy realized that she didn't like the fact that she didn't know what was happening.

The librarian shrugged but she looked worried as well.

"I'll check if it's a drill," she said, giving us both weird looks, "You two stay here."

"What?" Both of us exclaimed at the same time.

"You can't," Annabeth said, "I'm the president."

Percy sighed irritably; Annabeth shot him a withering look. The librarian shook her head and headed out.

The fire alarm was still ringing and Percy slumped down onto a nearby chair, crossing his arms.

"We shouldn't stay here," Annabeth said.

"You heard the old hag," Percy told her, "It could be just a drill."

Annabeth shook her head. "I wasn't informed." Her grey eyes were stormy with thoughts and calculations and Percy decided to let her be. He stood up and walked over to his previous table where his bag was lying. His skateboard was protruding from it. He took it out and ran his fingers across it. It was used frequently and had blue waves etched on the back of it as a design. It was given to him by his father, a guy who had long since left. He had called it Riptide and so Percy took the name as well. It was the only connection he got from the old man.

"Why do you like to skateboard?" Annabeth asked curiously. Percy could hardly hear her.

"Why do you like to read?" Percy asked back; her lips twitched.

"It's a hobby."

"Then it's a hobby for me as well."

She crossed her arms and frowned at him. He didn't say anything, just continued to stare at Riptide.

Then a blood curling shriek pierced the air. It must've been close for it to be heard over the fire alarm. Annabeth froze; her face blanching as Percy shouldered his bag and headed towards the closed door but Annabeth grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Wait!" she hissed, "It could be a serial killer out there!"

"Or it could be a guy who needs our help," Percy retorted.

"Are you really willing to take the risk?" she asked.

"To help those out there? Yeah!"

Annabeth gave him an odd look but he must've looked determined because she sighed and let go.

"Fine," she said and they walked to the door. Percy had barely opened it when somebody stumbled in. He heard Annabeth scream as the smell of blood and vomit tackled his nostrils. His eyes widened in horror when a body collapsed on the floor. He recognized him immediately.

Michael Yew was bleeding from the an unknown wound and his clothes were drenched with so much blood that his uniform couldn't even be seen anymore. His dark hair was matted with vomit and his brown eyes looked dead. His scrunched up features looked dead. He was small as he looked at Percy. His mouth could barely form words and Percy had to drop down to his knees to hear him. His voice was scratchy and grave.

"We're all dead."


	2. Chapter 2

Annabeth was screaming but all Percy could hear were those last words as Michael's eyes stared at nothing. He felt sick to his stomach and he visibly shook. Tears sprang to his eyes as sweat trailed down his face. Michael was his friend and he was dead. What the hell was going on?

Then Annabeth silenced herself. She probably realized what a racket she was causing. She dropped down on her knees as well and grabbed Percy's face. He was still frozen but the warmth her fingers gave him made him look at her. Her grey eyes were wide with revulsion and fear but she put on a brave face and shook him slightly.

"Percy," she said. It was the first time she had really used his name. In all the years since he knew her, Annabeth had always called him Jackson. Never Percy. "Calm down. We have to think straight."

"Michael's dead," Percy stuttered.

"I know."

"He's covered in blood."

"Percy—"

"Who would do that?"

"Get a grip, Percy!" Annabeth nearly yelled and Percy focused solely on her. She looked downright terrified but once she realized that he was finally seeing her, she switched from being terrified to being determined.

She let go of his face and leaned back. "Okay, we're going to barricade ourselves in this library and think of a plan. Something went wrong. A serial killer must've gotten in and I'm sure somebody has called the police but right now? We're on our own."

They both staggered to their feet and Percy grabbed the front desk and shoved it to the front door. Annabeth pushed some tables towards it as well and just to be safe; Percy dragged the nearest shelf and placed it on the way of the door. When Annabeth was pretty sure that nobody would get in, she stuck her head out the window and looked around the campus while Percy forced his lunch down as he dragged Michael's body and placed it at the very back of the library, behind all the big shelves. He couldn't bear to look at his friend any longer and his heart felt incredibly heavy.

When he got back, Annabeth was still at the window. He joined her. Thoughts of Grover crashed into his mind. Grover was his best friend and he was worried sick about what might've happened to him.

"Did you find something?" he asked Annabeth.

"As far as I can see and it's not much since it's nearly six in the evening, nobody seems to be around," she answered matter-of-factly.

Percy looked outside as well. The campus lights were all turned on against the dark blue sky. The sun had set a long while ago and there was something strange about the new setting. He strained his ears until he realized that there was a silence heavier than his beating heart. He couldn't hear any traffic or the occasional noise of New York. Everything seemed dead.

"What the hell is going on?" Percy voiced his thoughts.

"I don't know," Annabeth murmured, her face pinched in frustration and fear, "but it's definitely bad."

Percy rubbed his eyes and he stiffened when he realized that his hands were covered in Michael's blood. He resisted the urge to throw up as he lowered them.

"What now, Wise Girl?" he asked Annabeth.

Annabeth clenched her hands into fists and glared at the evening sky. It took a couple of minutes until she threw her hands into the air and sighed loudly. "I don't know," she said, "I'm panicking right now. I can't think straight!"

Percy realized that if Annabeth panicked then he had every reason to panic as well.

"But," Annabeth added, "I _will_ make a plan."

Percy felt a lot happier after that. Annabeth was a whole lot smarter than he was and if there was anybody who was going to get them out of this mess, it was her.

Then they heard it. A low mumbling voice and then staggering footsteps. Nobody else was inside that room and Michael was dead. Percy felt as if ants were crawling across his skin. He and Annabeth turned slowly around and Percy lost his voice.

Because Michael Yew was stumbling towards them and his brown eyes were glazed over and he was muttering nonsense. He was still covered in blood and even though he was small and tiny, he still looked like a major threat. His lips were pulled back to show a snarl and he looked really drunk but this couldn't be happening. Percy had dragged the guy. He had been unresponsive. There was no way he could be walking towards them like a zombie.

"Shit," Percy swore.

"Michael," Annabeth yelped, looking fearful, "Michael, you're hurt. You should sit down."

But Michael just growled at her. He jumped forward and grabbed Percy. Hands took hold of his uniform and Annabeth stumbled back. Percy stared straight into Michael's brown eyes and saw nothing in them, just a deep need to satisfy hunger. Whatever was going on, Michael had turned into a predator and Percy was now prey.

"Michael!" Percy tried the diplomatic approach, "It's me! Percy! We've been friends for a long time!"

But Michael just kept growling and grumbling. Percy shoved him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Annabeth looking for something in the front desk. Michael had gotten up and he looked ready to kill. He would've never thought that his friend Michael Yew would want to kill him. The situation was so ridiculous he almost laughed.

Michael tried to grab him again but he dodged out of the way. Michael was slow and sluggish in his movements and Percy had enough skills when it came to agility. Being a skateboarder had its perks.

"What are you doing over there?" Percy called, dodging Michael's outstretched hand.

"Just shut up and distract him!" Annabeth yelled back. Percy rolled his eyes.

Michael was nearly screaming now and in a sudden surge of speed and strength, managed to tackle Percy to the floor. Percy's head hit the ground hard and black spots danced in his eyes. Now that he was really close to Michael, he could smell the rotten flesh and vomit on the other's boy's clothes. Michael opened his mouth wide and fear grabbed a hold on Percy's heart, making him freeze. There was no way he could hurt Michael. He was just a kid and a good friend. Something was just messed up in his head.

"Percy!" Annabeth shouted.

Percy's head snapped back into place. He shoved Michael for the second time. He staggered to his feet and stood up next to Annabeth. She was holding his skateboard, Riptide and just as Michael stood up as well, Annabeth screamed in defiance and slammed Riptide onto the boy's head.

"Whoa!" Percy yelled, eyes widening as Michael slumped onto the ground and stopped moving. Blood poured out and made a small pool around his head.

Percy turned to Annabeth as she dropped his board.

"You're welcome," Annabeth promptly replied.

"_You're welcome_?" Percy repeated, "You just killed Michael!"

"He was trying to kill you," Annabeth said, not looking fazed but her grey eyes flickered with guilt, "and he definitely wasn't himself _and_ he was dead like ten minutes ago!"

"Well, he's definitely dead now!" Percy said, "Because you killed the guy!"

"He was insane," Annabeth firmly said.

But before Percy could say another word, Annabeth shot him a glare so withering that he finally shut up.

"We can't stay here anymore," Annabeth decided. Percy picked up Riptide and wiped the blood off. He grimaced when he looked at Michael's body again, his heart getting heavier.

"What's your new plan then, Chase?" Percy asked.

She frowned then walked to the back of the library. Percy grabbed his bag and reluctantly followed her. They passed by bookshelves and the smell of Michael's body faded into the background. Annabeth had stopped right in front of the fire exit. The green sign glowed in the darkness.

Annabeth turned to him, smirking. "Told you I would make up a plan," she said, "Seaweed Brain."

Percy managed to grin. "As you say, Wise Girl."


	3. Chapter 3

Annabeth went in first and Percy brought in the rear, shoving Riptide to his bag as he did so.

Night had fallen upon them and stars twinkled in the sky. Percy could hardly see anything as he followed Annabeth down the stairs. It was going to be long flight since they were in the fourth floor. Their footsteps chattered against the metal and Percy kept whipping his head around, sure that something bad was about to happen soon but when Annabeth reached the ground, they were both safe.

Annabeth looked around. It was obvious she was trying to discern their location. Percy shifted his bag.

"Okay, now what?" he asked.

"We get Mr. Brunner," Annabeth answered.

She started walking towards the direction of the dormitories. Percy hastily followed.

"_Mr, Brunner_?" he said, "Unless you want some painful Yoda quote about life and death, I'm afraid that he's not really the most ideal guy for our situation right now."

"Just because he's stuck in a wheelchair doesn't really mean that he's useless, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said.

They crossed the school grounds, their feet crunching on the wet grass beneath them. Somebody must've watered them recently. Percy shivered. He hadn't realized just how cold it was.

The school was dead quiet, almost as if it was abandoned. Percy kept looking around, hoping to see a familiar face but he saw nothing. Not even a stray dog or a runaway cat. His nerves were stretched dangerously. He realized that if everything was calm and silent around him, then something was definitely wrong.

They reached the dorms and Annabeth flung the double doors open. They hurried inside and Annabeth climbed the stairs near the entrance. Percy followed. Their footsteps slammed against the marble floor loudly and all Percy could hear were his harsh breaths. Annabeth probably knew where Mr. Brunner's dorm was because she might've visited him for tutorials about homework. She was such a Wise Girl that Percy resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his own thoughts.

Annabeth stopped in the third floor, where most teachers stayed. She immediately went to the fourth door in the right and knocked frantically upon it. There was no response. Fear expanded in Percy's chest, constricting his ability to breathe.

"He's not answering," Annabeth said.

"Thanks for the acute observation," Percy growled, "Move over."

She stepped aside and Percy positioned his shoulder so that it aimed at the door. He slammed against the wood and it didn't budge. He hit it again and again until it finally gave way. Annabeth went inside and Percy followed her.

The dorm was empty and devoid of any human presence. There was a bed and a table full of history books but there was no Mr. Brunner.

"Damn it," Annabeth swore and they went out to the dark hallways. Everything was silent and empty.

Percy ran a hand through his messy black hair and looked at Annabeth. Something had been gnawing his insides and thoughts ever since this whole mess started.

"I'm going to look for Grover," he said and he started to walk away, never keeping his eyes off her.

She arched an eyebrow at him. "I'm going with you."

He stopped, looking puzzled. "You should go look for your friends," he said.

She rolled her eyes and started walking with him. He kept staring at her because he would've thought that Annabeth Chase would jump onto the first opportunity to get away from him. Guess she was full of surprises tonight. They went to the fourth floor where his room was. Grover was his roommate.

"Percy," Annabeth chirped, "I'm not going to split up from you."

"I thought you would love to do that," Percy mused, "since you hate me and all."

"I don't hate you," she said as they climbed the stairs, "I just really _dislike_ you."

"Enlighten me."

They made it to the fourth floor and Percy's dorm room was at the last door to the left. He hurried over towards it as Annabeth talked,

"Well, you're annoying, you skip classes, you sleep in classes and you drool in your sleep."

Percy opened the door, shooting her a grin. "Well, people think that's attractive."

"I'm not like most people."

He poked his head inside but just like Mr. Brunner's room, it was empty. He swore obscenities under his breath and went inside. He opened his bag and brought out all the useless school stuff. He grabbed some granola bars from his study desk (which was also useless) and also some fresh clothes. Annabeth stayed by the door as he did all of these and then Percy came across Grover's reed pipe, which was given to him by his great uncle.

Percy felt something inside him break. He wished Grover was okay. He missed the old goof already. He put the reed pipe onto his back pocket and stood up to face Annabeth.

"We should go," he said.

She said nothing but her eyes were full of sadness.

They went out and Percy could hear nothing but his own beating heart. He should be glad to be alive but he felt dead, in fact. They decided to go to Annabeth's room, in hopes that her roommate, Silena Beauregard would be there but just as they reached the fifth floor, they skidded to a halt.

Standing in front of them were three people. Percy recognized one of them. Lee Fletcher. He was tall with blonde hair and brown eyes but what was so horrible was the fact that Lee's mouth was smeared with blood and his other arm was missing, making blood drip onto the marble floor. It took Percy awhile to notice that this hallway was filled with bodies and other horrible stuff he couldn't comprehend. The stench was horrible and he finally managed to vomit into the side.

The other two people near Lee looked up. Percy didn't know them.

"Oh God," Annabeth murmured.

"This is fucked up," Percy said, wiping his mouth.

Lee snarled and stumbled forward, raising his one and a half arms towards Annabeth. She backed up and kicked him in the stomach. He didn't respond. Meanwhile, the other two were now set on attacking Percy. One of them had matted brown hair and blood dripping down his eye. Part of his cheek had torn apart and was now a gaping hole. Percy resisted the urge to vomit again. The other one looked otherwise okay, except for the fact that his arm was bent at an unnatural angle and that his right ankle was twisted so that he was limping.

Percy grabbed Riptide from his bag and swung it towards the first zombie. He finally accepted the fact that these guys were definitely zombies. There was just no other explanation for it. He wondered what kind of twisted higher power out there had decided to throw the entire city into a zombie movie.

The first zombie, whom he decided to call BloodEye, stumbled back and hit a wall. The second one, whom Percy nicknamed Twisted, lunged forward and grabbed Percy's arms, making him drop Riptide.

"Get the fuck off," Percy growled but unlike Michael, Twisted was stronger and had more bulk. Percy had a hard time trying to shove the guy off. He was slammed against the wall behind him and pain flared up at the back of his head. He jabbed his knee against Twisted's stomach and kicked him in the shin. Twisted didn't respond but he lost his balance and fell sideways. Percy grabbed Riptide and slammed it onto Twisted's head while he was still on the ground. There was a sickening sound of wood meeting flesh and bone but Percy's attention was diverted to BloodEye.

"You're so dead," Percy growled and before BloodEye could even get a chance to attack, Percy swung Riptide and hit BloodEye against his torn cheek. His head snapped to the side and Percy heard the bones in his neck breaking. The body fell to the ground and Percy dragged his eyes towards Annabeth.

To his surprise, Annabeth was doing a pretty good job of defending herself against Lee. She had grabbed a fire extinguisher from the wall and was now shoving Lee away. Unlike Michael, Lee was faster and apparently smarter. It was taking Annabeth a long while to finally smash her weapon against his head but when she did, blood spattered across Percy's uniform and face. Lee fell to the ground and stayed there.

Percy wiped off the blood, scowling. "Thanks," he said.

Annabeth smiled sweetly at him. "Don't mention it," she said.

They took their eyes off each other and stared at the massacre around them. The bodies around them were fresh but they were either missing a limb or two. The stench of rotting flesh and dried blood made Percy want to vomit again but he stopped himself. Annabeth staggered on her feet, looking sick.

"Well, then," Percy said, heaving a huge breath, "We have to check on Silena right?"

"I doubt she's even there," Annabeth said, "There's no point anyway."

"Come on—"

Then they heard it. The noise of dragging feet and mumbled sounds. More zombies. They exchanged a look and then headed back the way they came. Annabeth was right; there was no point in checking up on someone who was most likely dead.


	4. Chapter 4

"Okay, now what?" Percy was getting tired of asking that question.

They were hurrying down the stairs with no plan whatsoever but Percy could almost see the gears in Annabeth's head turning. They escaped into the open grounds where it had started to rain slightly. The water immediately drenched them both and Percy wondered if this day could get any worse. Again, Percy was stabbed with worry and fear over Grover. Hopefully, his best friend was okay.

"We get help," Annabeth said, turning to look at him. Her face was grave.

"Okay." There was a pause. "But _where_?"

She rolled her eyes and pointed to the classrooms. In the drizzle of the rain, Percy could barely see anything except for the drops of water clinging to his eyelashes. He didn't have a better idea so he shrugged and led the way with Annabeth in tow.

When they got inside, Percy cursed as he nearly slipped on the marble. Annabeth stifled her laughter as he straightened up.

"Glad to see that you're fine," he said sarcastically. He was dripping wet. It was a good thing he had brought some brand new clothes. He swung his bag from his shoulder and searched through it.

"What are you doing?" Annabeth asked. When he glanced over at her, he saw that she was wringing water from her ponytail.

"I'm going to change," he said.

"In the middle of the hallway?"

"Well, I'm sorry but I don't really have the luxury to go find a restroom and besides, it's just _you_," Percy told her as he grabbed a blue shirt and a green hoodie. He turned around, missing the flash of annoyance and hurt in Annabeth's grey eyes as he grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it off. He felt the cool air against his skin and goose bumps erupted on his arms. He heard a small gasp from behind and smirked. He hastily pulled on his blue shirt and then the green hoodie. Having something warm against his chest made him sigh in pleasure.

"You can look now," Percy said, glancing at Annabeth over his shoulder.

"You're incredibly arrogant to think that I'd ever look at _you_," Annabeth said, rolling her eyes again.

He stared at her, his tongue between his teeth. Something was bothering him and he realized just then that Annabeth was freezing. She was hugging herself and strands of blonde hair were plastered to her face. Her teeth were chattering and her lips were white and water slowly dripped down from her uniform to the marble floor. He felt bad about changing in front of her when she was drenched and cold. She didn't bring any clothes since they hadn't gone to her room. Percy sighed and grabbed an extra red flannel shirt from his bag and handed it to her.

"Here," he said. He hoped he wasn't blushing.

Annabeth gave him a strange look. "No," she said, "I'm not borrowing anything from you."

He let out a frustrated exhale of breath. "Annabeth, just get rid of your stupid pride for once and take the shirt," he growled. His face must've been menacing enough because she sighed and took it.

"I'm going to a restroom," she said, "because I'm decent enough unlike some people here."

Percy smiled and shoved his hands to the pockets of his jeans. "Sure, Wise Girl."

"Whatever, Seaweed Brain."

She headed over to the nearest restroom as Percy leaned on the wall and thought long and hard about Grover. The worry and fear gnawed at his chest again, making him tap his feet against the floor quickly. He really wanted to know what was happening to Grover and how the zombies invaded the school and contaminated his classmates.

Annabeth came back, wearing his flannel shirt over a black one. He grinned at her but she shook her head and murmured, "Don't say anything."

They explored the classrooms, making sure to peek in every one. The hallways were obviously empty and a zombie would occasionally pass by. Percy and Annabeth usually hid themselves at this point. Percy's thoughts were juggling with each other. It was sort of obvious that most of the school had evacuated and the rest just became one of the undead. Grover could be somewhere safe or he could be stumbling around, looking for something to eat.

Annabeth tried to call help using the telephone but there was no such luck. They were really on their own then. Percy could see the fear and desperation in Annabeth's eyes as they continued to roam around.

"This is hopeless," Annabeth said as they exited through the back door of the building. They had explored every inch of the school and hadn't found one living soul. Percy could understand what Annabeth was feeling right now but he was too worried about Grover to do anything.

The rain had stopped but there were mud puddles on the grass now. Annabeth stormed through them and Percy realized she was heading straight to the inside swimming pool. He groaned. Annabeth in a bad mood was not something he wanted to see soon.

Suddenly, shouts and grunts pierced the silent air. They were coming from the swimming area. Percy nearly laughed. For once, Annabeth's plans were getting them somewhere. They shared a bewildered look before hurrying towards the building. It had transparent glass domed around the swimming pool and Annabeth flung the doors open.

Clarisse La Rue was the last person Percy expected to see inside the building. She was fending off three zombies, her brown hair matted with blood and dirt and her face was streaked with blood. Percy could only hope that it wasn't her blood. He saw too much zombie movies to know what would happen if she got bit or scratched. She was using a pipe she had picked up somewhere and had now slammed the first zombie onto the wall. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Percy and Annabeth.

"A little help here?" she called, her voice gruff.

Percy took out Riptide and yelled in defiance. Screaming definitely wasn't good since Annabeth face palmed. He charged towards the second zombie who was trying to get a hold of Clarisse's unprotected arms. He slammed his board onto its back. The zombie grunted before turning its full attention to Percy. It was a good thing Percy didn't know the girl. Her glazed eyes were caked with blood and the skin around her mouth had turned rotten. She snarled and reached for Percy's throat. He backed up and drove the end of Riptide onto her stomach. It didn't go through skin, muscle and bone but it was enough to knock her to the ground. Percy finished the job by smashing his board onto her skull. Her body shuddered once before finally stilling to a halt.

Meanwhile, since Annabeth had no weapon, she had to grapple with her own zombie which was a guy Percy also didn't recognize. They were getting dangerously close to the edge of the swimming pool where its waters reflected against her face. Clarisse was still struggling with her own zombie since it was bigger than she was but Percy could tell that she was getting the upper hand. He staggered to his feet, suddenly realizing just how exhausted he was before Annabeth screamed.

She had tipped over the edge of the pool and had fallen in with the zombie, splashing water around. Percy checked the depth markers quickly. Annabeth had fallen to the eight feet side of the pool. Percy swore; he had just pulled on a new shirt and was about to get wet again. Well, Annabeth definitely couldn't fight a zombie while trying to stay afloat. He quickly took off his upper garments before diving in, relishing the cool water against his skin.

He found Annabeth and the zombie pretty quickly. Annabeth was already choking on water while the zombie had its eyes set on the Annabeth's visible flesh. She kicked and flailed but the zombie was simply too much. Through the bluish water, he could see the potential fear of being bit and drowning in her grey eyes. He grabbed the zombie by the back of his shoulders and pulled. To his surprise, the zombie quickly let go and turned on him instead.

"Go back, Annabeth!" he yelled, kicking his feet so that he could swim back to the edge. He was a good swimmer since he and his mom spent most of their summers swimming in the beach. The thought made sadness washed over him. Was his mom alright as well?

The zombie was now the one choking on water but it definitely couldn't die by drowning yet all Percy wanted was to get out of that pool. He swam towards the ladder nearby and was glad to see that Annabeth had already climbed from the water. He grabbed a hold of the rungs and pulled himself up before collapsing on the ground and gulping huge breaths. His heart hammered loudly against his chest and he felt exhaustion taking over his body. His body was freezing and he visibly shook. All he wanted right now was to close his eyes and sleep…

"Percy!" Annabeth's voice reverberated in his head like an alarm clock. He opened his eyes and found Annabeth hovering above him, her face frantic. She was as wet and drenched as he was but she looked immensely relieved to see him.

"You okay there, Seaweed Brain?" she asked.

"Can somebody shoot the fuck out of that zombie?" he murmured.

For once since this whole mess started, Annabeth laughed and he found himself grinning because he liked her laugh and maybe in the near future, he could make her laugh again and again.


	5. Chapter 5

Annabeth got them some towels from the showers and the three of them huddled around one area of the swimming area, their shoulders hunched and their hands shaking. The cold was too much to bear at times but they endured it. Percy's teeth were chattering as he listened to Clarisse's story:

Apparently, Clarisse was out doing detention as well in the very same spot they were sitting on. Since she had accidentally knocked out Chris Rodriguez during an argument, she was forced to clean the swimming pool. She had only stayed there until six when she heard the fire alarm. She was about to leave when those three zombies came. She's been stuck there ever since.

"So wait, you saw nobody?" Annabeth asked.

Clarisse shot her a glare. "If I had, I would've already told you, smartass."

Annabeth glowered at her. As far as Percy could remember, these two always had a bit of a rocky relationship. Just as Annabeth was the opposite of Percy, Clarisse was also the opposite of her. Clarisse was the huge bulky bully who picked fights on everyone and Annabeth _hated_ bullies just as much as she hated spiders. Percy knew her long enough to remember that one important detail.

Percy shivered as silence enveloped them. Clarisse wiped her face on the towel. Thankfully, the blood Percy had seen on her definitely wasn't _hers_. She stood up, swinging her pipe over her shoulder and glaring at nothing in particular.

"Anyway," she said, "I'm off to find Silena."

"You can't just leave!" Percy said.

She arched an eyebrow at him. "I can do whatever I want, Jackson."

"But you could die out there!" Annabeth reasoned. Percy felt for her. Having Clarisse would be a major advantage and he also suspected that just as much as Annabeth disliked Clarisse, she disliked him more.

Clarisse spat on the ground. "I'll be fine," she said, "I'm a tough girl."

And just like that, she jogged to the doors and headed out onto the grounds. Instinct screamed at Percy to follow her but he was too exhausted and cold. Going out into the night didn't seem like a great idea. He shivered again and Annabeth swore under her breath.

"Brilliant, we find somebody and she leaves us," she growled.

Percy could feel his eyelids threatening to close. He yawned and leaned against the wall, his bag acting like a pillow. "She had every right to go," he murmured, "She needed to find Silena." _Just as much as I need to find Grover_, he added in his head.

Annabeth swore again. "We could've found her together."

"Hmmm…"

Percy was now dangerously close to sleep. He looked at Annabeth one last time.

"We should sleep, get our energy back," he suggested.

She looked ready to protest but she must've seen how exhausted Percy was. She reluctantly nodded and Percy leaned his head over his left shoulder and slept. What he didn't know was that Annabeth leaned against his other shoulder. They slept like that for a long while.

.

When Percy woke up, Annabeth was already up and running. She was looking for a weapon and Percy stretched his arms and stood up. His back ached from sleeping on a wall and when he craned his neck, pain flared up his spinal cord. He yawned and then he heard Annabeth say,

"Wipe the drool on your face, will you?"

He groaned. He couldn't believe he had drooled in front of her twice already. He wiped off the saliva and walked over towards her. She was holding up a baseball bat and was now swinging it back and forth.

"You're going to kick ass with that, you know," Percy told her fondly.

"Hopefully," Annabeth said, "I can't really believe it though."

"Believe what?" He had turned his attention to the swimming pool where the zombie was now floating. Percy couldn't tell if it was dead.

Annabeth turned to look at him. She looked deadly.

"I can't believe that we're in a zombie apocalypse," she said seriously, "I mean, it goes beyond human nature and it's like we've been put in a sick twisted movie. I really want to know how it happened. I really want to know _why_ it happened. And most of all, I want to know _what_ caused it to happen." Her face darkened as she hefted the baseball bat onto her shoulder.

"This isn't the time for answers," Percy said, "We've only got two choices now: to survive or to become one of them."

Her face scrunched up in disdain and she sighed. "Yeah, you're right." He had a feeling it took a lot of effort for her to push down her pride and say those words.

.

They headed out into the grounds again. They slept until noon and the sun was high up in the sky already. Percy was glad for the warmth the sun was giving him. He didn't have any idea where they should go next and he could tell that Annabeth was thinking through the same lines. They walked side by side, their arms occasionally brushing against each other and Percy kept looking back, wondering if Grover was still trapped inside that school, now a dead zombie.

"We have to get out of here," Annabeth finally said.

His head whipped around so fast he was surprised it didn't break. He stared at Annabeth wide-eyed.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"Percy, we can't stay here—"

"And if you think I'm just going to leave Grover behind then—"

They both stopped walking and glared at each other. Annabeth's grey eyes flashed with anger and annoyance.

"We've got no choice," she said lowly.

"We always have a choice!" Percy retorted and his worry and fear over Grover threatened to choke him and bring him to tears, "and I'm not leaving my best friend behind."

"Your best friend could somehow be dead already or worse!"

He hated that logical side of her but he didn't want to leave the school. He couldn't bear to leave Grover and countless others to their fate. He towered over Annabeth easily but he felt as if he was getting smaller and smaller.

"Annabeth," he hated the fact that he was whining.

But she shook her head. He didn't know if he liked or hated the fact that she was a headstrong girl.

"Then you're just going to have to leave me behind then," he stated with a blank face.

Her eyes widened with shock and her mouth dropped open.

"Are you crazy?" she shrieked.

But he had made up his mind. Annabeth or no Annabeth, he was going to get Grover back.

"You'll get killed!"

"I can take care of myself, Chase," he said coldly, raising his voice.

"Percy—"

He crossed his arms and glared at her. "Just get off your high horse and let me go, Wise Girl. I am more than capable of kicking some zombie's ass and I _will_ find my best friend. I'm not leaving him behind so I don't car—"

"Percy!"

Without realizing it, they had attracted a lot of zombies with their bickering. He wasn't surprised since the school was dead quiet. A few raised voices could definitely bring about more brain eaters. He uncrossed his arms and whipped around, seeing that a horde was now hustling towards them, growling and groaning for the two pieces of fresh meat in front of them. Percy couldn't count how much there was but it exceeded the number of his two hands.

"Shit shit shit shit," he cursed.

Annabeth grabbed his hand and they immediately stormed straight towards the high iron gates which stood a couple of yards from them. There was the guard house but Percy could tell that it was empty. His heart pounded loudly against his chest and fear of being eaten nearly consumed his senses. He let Annabeth go forward so that he could distract the zombies behind them. He took out Riptide from his bag and stopped running, turning around to face the horde yelling for his brains.

"Get those gates open!" he yelled.

Annabeth didn't even hesitate. From the corner of his eye, he watched as she entered the guard house and started doing who-knows-what. The first zombie that came after him was a teacher, an Elementary teacher he had in the first grade. His heart got heavier when he reared the skateboard back and slammed it against the guy's head. Blood spattered against his clothes and face but more zombies started coming. One of them lunged for his arm but he kicked it with his shin.

"Any progress there?" he shouted to Annabeth. Faces of rotten flesh and gaping mouths filled his vision. He kicked and punched and hit them with his skateboard but he knew that he would soon be outnumbered.

"We need a security card to open the gates!" he heard Annabeth scream.

"Well, this is a fucking brilliant day so far," Percy growled and after shoving a zombie guy onto the crowd, he turned around and found Annabeth already climbing the iron gates. He hurried to join her, pushed Riptide in his bag before he grabbed the iron railings and pulled himself up. Annabeth was already far ahead in front of him and he tried to catch up. He could feel the zombies approaching; setting his skin on fire and making sweat break out in his entire body. When he was at the top with Annabeth, he flung his legs over the top iron railings and jumped. Annabeth followed hastily and they landed against the pavement of the street hard. The soles of his feet ached but nothing was broken. He pulled himself up to a standing position and Annabeth brushed the dust off her jeans.

"That was close," Percy observed.

"Yeah," Annabeth agreed, panting.

And then reality hit him. He had left Grover back there. Grover was still inside, probably screaming for Percy's help. He had half the mind to climb back the gates but he stopped when he saw the zombies crowding the entrance. His heart fell to his feet.

"Grover!" he screamed and he felt as if his throat was about to rip apart. He couldn't understand why he was feeling the grief that washed over him because he still wasn't sure that Grover was dead.

"Percy," Annabeth said, her voice deadly calm.

He turned to her, feeling his sanity almost break. She said nothing but he realized that she was giving him a choice; to go with her or to find Grover. He fisted his hair and sighed loudly.

"Okay, fine, I'll go with you."

There was no point in checking up on someone who was most likely dead.


	6. Chapter 6

"Sewers?" Percy repeated, looking dumbfounded.

Annabeth gave him a sharp look as they walked through the empty driveway of Yancy Academy. It was still afternoon but there was no sign of life whatsoever. Percy thought about all those horror movies he had seen as a kid and it sure felt as if he was living in one right now. He wondered when the infection had started here and how it had spread to the school. Maybe it was airborne but the thought of inhaling the contaminated air made Percy cringe.

"Yeah, the sewers," Annabeth confirmed, "It's the least likely place to be overrun by zombies."

Percy almost laughed at the look on her face. She didn't exactly want to believe the situation they were in right now but she had no other choice to accept the fact that they were stuck in this place. She looked around for those circular entrances that led to the sewers. Percy didn't know what they were called but he kept watch over her, holding his skateboard Riptide as a weapon.

She finally found one in the alleyway, behind an apartment. Percy had been hoping that some military guys would come and rescue them from this madness but there was no such luck.

As Annabeth climbed down the ladder, Percy looked longingly at Yancy Academy, which was now at a far distance away. He missed Grover terribly and the thought of his best friend as one of those zombies made him curse the higher power that orchestrated this mess.

"You coming, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth called down from the sewers.

Percy dropped down to his knees and shoved Riptide to his bag. He took a deep final breath of fresh air before he grabbed the rungs of the ladder and climbed down slowly. He didn't even bother to close the passageway. The afternoon light faded as he descended towards the darkness of the sewers.

"Are you still upset about the whole Grover thing?" Annabeth asked him as he dropped down to the ground. It took him a moment to assess his surroundings. He could see that there were lights placed at the ceilings of the cracked domelike place but it was still dimly lit. He was standing very near the edge of the small path near the dirty and muddy water of people's sewage but what stuck him the most was the smell. It was horrible and he could barely describe it. He had to force his stomach down as he turned to look at Annabeth.

"What do you think?" he retorted.

She sighed irritably. He could tell that she was losing patience with him.

"I did it to live, you know," she said.

"Living is not the same if you don't have your best friend with you," Percy pointed out.

She glared at him with so much burning hatred that he was surprised that he didn't burst into flames. The smell and location wasn't doing them good and Percy realized just how hungry the two of them should be after a day of walking around and attacking zombies. Annabeth had every right to be in a bad mood.

"Well, I wouldn't know, would I?" she sneered, "Just because I'm the student body president doesn't really mean I've got the luxury of friends, Jackson."

"It wouldn't hurt for you to actually make an effort, you know," Percy told her but she had a good point. He might've not known Annabeth that well but she was always surrounded with teachers and books. He also heard about some students getting annoyed with her since she was such a smartass and a control freak. Maybe that was the reason why she didn't really know the value of friendship or why Grover meant so much to Percy. Maybe it was because she never had a best friend to call her own.

Annabeth said nothing but her glare was still full of venom and hatred. She whipped around and Percy felt his anger and irritation rise to a boiling point. Whatever reason for her pitiful behavior, he was still angry at the fact that they had left Grover behind.

They started walking in silence, the air between them heavy and tense. Percy couldn't really see much and he kept imagining zombies appearing out of nowhere and ripping Annabeth's throat apart. He kept wishing that they had the logic to bring some flashlights.

Annabeth suddenly stopped moving and Percy nearly crashed into her.

"What?" he breathed.

"Shut up and listen," she growled.

He did and that's when he heard the noise of sneakers against cement, of hushed voices too low to be understood. He could feel Annabeth's excitement growing. He scowled when he came to the realization that she might only be excited about other people because it meant not being alone with him.

"Okay," she whispered, turning around. She must've not realized that he was standing at a close proximity to her because she yelped when she came face-to-face with him.

"Be quiet," Percy scolded her softly but the corners of his lips twitched, "You might wake up the dead."

She made a face and crossed her arms. "Whatever, Seaweed Brain. Anyway, the plan is to follow those voices and try the diplomatic approach. More people mean better protection, right?"

"Right," Percy agreed.

"Okay, just keep your voice low if you want to talk, alright?"

He shrugged and she turned and started walking towards the source of the noise. He couldn't to keep his ears and eyes open and then he felt his skin break out into goose bumps because he could hear slow mumbling and groans, the definite sounds of zombies. He took out Riptide just in case and when they rounded a corner, Annabeth halted to a stop, her face blanching.

Screams and shouts filled Percy's ears. He immediately sprang into action, not really caring about who he was saving, only knowing that someone needed his help.

He saw two zombies trying to grapple their way towards a girl with dark hair. She was the one screaming and he was faintly aware that a boy younger than he was, probably the girl's brother, was the one shouting. Percy raised Riptide and swung it at the first zombie who stumbled back but wasn't decapitated just yet.

"Annabeth, I could use some help over here!" Percy yelled.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Annabeth tackle the second zombie with her baseball bat before Percy focused his attention on his own zombie. The abomination was just a middle aged guy with brown hair and square glasses and he looked plenty normal except for the fact that the guy's skin was covered with blood and maggots. His eyes were glazed over and didn't hold any intelligence at all. When he snarled, his teeth were caked red. Percy shuddered just by looking at him and he dodged when the zombie reached for his neck. He straightened up immediately and slammed Riptide onto the guy's unprotected head. He heard that sickening noise of skull and flesh being crushed and he was glad that he got to stomach down whatever was left in his stomach.

He turned around and found out that Annabeth had pinned her own zombie onto the wall with her baseball in its neck. She was obviously struggling with it and he immediately yelled, "Duck!" To his relief, she understood and obliged before Percy swung his board again and smashed it onto the zombie's head. Blood and innards spattered everywhere and he wiped the worst of it on his face.

"Nice one," Percy commented begrudgingly.

Annabeth dropped her bat and sighed. She, too, was now covered in blood but she still looked fierce. Percy felt as if he should be glad that he got stuck with her.

"Whoa, that was awesome!" A kid's voice yelled. Percy and Annabeth exchanged a look before they turned to the speaker.

The two people they had saved were obviously brother and sister. The sister was as tall as Annabeth and had dark long hair which reached her shoulders. Her eyes were as black as night and freckles dotted around her nose. Her skin was olive colored and she stared at Percy with obvious gratitude.

Her brother looked like her with the same dark hair, same dark eyes and same olive skin. He looked to be about fourteen and he stared at Percy with admiration, his mouth hanging wide open.

"Thanks," the girl said, smiling. It lit up her entire face and Percy had to agree that she looked pretty. "I'm Bianca di Angelo, by the way. This is my brother, Nico."

Annabeth smiled politely back. Percy could tell that she was glad there was another girl her age with them. "I'm Annabeth Chase."

"Percy," Percy greeted, swinging his skateboard around, "Percy Jackson."

Nico turned to him, still looking awestruck. "Are you a skateboarder?" he asked.

Percy raised his eyebrows. "Erm, yeah, it's kind of obvious, man."

"It was so cool the way you beat up those zombies!" Nico squeaked, gesturing wildly and he blushed suddenly. Percy could tell the kid was embarrassed by his outburst. "I mean, I could never really hit one. It takes too much strength and agility. Ugh! I wish I somehow managed to get my Mythomagic card set. I think you would've liked it, Percy."

Bianca rolled her eyes and ruffled her brother's hair. "Excuse Nico," she said, "He's too much of a geek."

Nico glared at his sister before turning back to Percy and Annabeth. There was wonder written all over his face.

"Are you guys a couple?" the kid asked.

It was Percy's turn to blush. He shook his head wildly while saying, "Her? Nah. I might be desperate sometimes but I'm not _that_ desperate."

Annabeth nudged him painfully in the ribs, glaring at him as she did so. He winced and laughed. "I'm kidding," he added hastily.

Nico stared at them for a moment or two before finally dragging his eyes away to the bodies of the two zombies which reminded Percy of more important things.

"How'd you get here?" he asked Bianca.

Bianca shrugged. "I'm smarter than most people care to think about," she said, looking smug, "I just couldn't charge into the streets without any protection and Nico's just a kid. He doesn't really need to know about how to kill those things."

Annabeth's face brightened. "Guess we had the same idea, huh?"

Bianca eagerly nodded. "You bet."

Percy ran his fingers through his dark hair. "By the way, do you have any idea how this whole apocalypse began?"

To his disappointment, Bianca shook her head. "Not really. Nico and I…well, we're runaways. We ran away from our foster home. We've only got each other and when these crazy people started killing other people right in front of us at the streets, I decided that it was best to stay hidden underground."

Percy looked at Annabeth to ask her about her own thoughts and ideas when he was forced to stop midway. Annabeth's face had paled and her fists were shaking. If she didn't have that fierce determined look in her eyes, Percy would've said that she looked ready to cry. He frowned, not really understanding her and not really knowing if he wanted to but he decided not to push it in front of Bianca and Nico.

"Well," Percy said cheerfully, clapping his hands together and turning to look at the di Angelos, "You've got us now, right? We should just sit back and enjoy the end of the world."


	7. Chapter 7

It was a good thing Percy brought enough granola bars since everybody was starving. He dug around his bag for a long while before he took out four of them. He distributed them before opening his and digging in immediately. Ah, to finally have something in his stomach was like a blessing from God. He chewed and grinned at Nico was seated right next to him against the sewer wall. Nico grinned back.

"Anyway," Percy said, to ease the silence, "what's the plan?"

His question was directed at Annabeth who was sitting to his immediate left. She was unusually quiet and Percy felt a pang of worry towards her. This wasn't like her. The topic of runaways had silenced her.

"Maybe we should get some supplies." To his surprise, it was Nico who answered.

Bianca looked over at her brother, the surprise on her face evident. Maybe they had been so intent on trying to survive the zombies that they hadn't realized that they might as well have died of starvation or dehydration. Percy admitted that the kid was pretty smart even though he was a blabbermouth at most times.

"Isn't that what they do in movies?" Nico said, "Find supplies and look for survivors?"

Bianca sighed, looking depressed. "Our life's a horror movie now."

Percy finished his granola bar though he wished that he had more. Even though the day had barely ended yet, he was still feeling tired. His arms and legs ached from climbing the gate and his adrenaline of killing those two zombies had made him pretty exhausted. He leaned his head against the wall and breathed deeply through his nose. Bianca was right; their life was pretty much a horror movie now.

When he looked at Bianca and Nico, he could tell that they really hadn't had much sleep in them too. He felt bad for them so he suggested that he and Annabeth would take first watch while they rested. They didn't protest but he noticed Nico giving Annabeth an uneasy look.

As the two of the di Angelo siblings huddled in one corner and fell asleep. When Percy was pretty sure that their breathings were even and that their eyes were closed, he turned to Annabeth and gave her a troubled look.

She noticed. Of course she would. Nothing came unnoticed from Annabeth Chase.

"What's up?" he asked.

Her eyes were glazed over, just like so many zombies' but they were still fierce and calculating.

"It's nothing," Annabeth said.

"Don't bullshit me, Chase," Percy said, smirking when Annabeth arched an eyebrow at him, "Come on, tell me what's wrong and I might be able to do something about it."

"But that's the thing, Percy," she murmured, "You can't do anything about it. It's in the past."

"What, did you run away or something?"

Based on the way her gaze hardened, Percy knew that he had hit a nerve. He scooted to her closer and put his skateboard down; wrapping his arms around his legs to signify that he was going to listen. Annabeth looked at him strangely before sighing.

"When I was six, my dad married another woman," she said and her gaze hardened even more, "She didn't like me. Hell, I don't even think my dad likes me too. I was just an accident, something he didn't expect and my real mom just abandoned me for no other reason. I got fed up with the neglect I was getting so I packed my bags and left. I was gone for about a year with some friends I found in the streets when the police found me and brought me back home. My dad was obviously upset but I didn't want to have a lecture so I begged him to take me to a boarding school so that I wouldn't have to see him anymore. To my disappointment, he agreed and I've been in Yancy ever since."

They were silent for a few more minutes. Percy let her story sink in.

"So, you never had a home?" he asked softly.

She shook her head. "Never."

Percy didn't say he was sorry. He kind of actually knew what she was feeling. His mother was the only person he had left and they barely had enough money to send him to boarding school and ever since his dad left before Percy was born, he finally came to appreciate his mom and Sally Jackson really loved him and that type of love was sort of hard to find these days. He felt bad for Annabeth and worry and sadness ached in his chest.

"Well, maybe after all of this, you'll find a new home," he murmured.

Annabeth looked at him, obviously started but she gave him the smallest of smiles. It wasn't much but it was enough.

"We should really come up with a plan," Percy said, anxious to change the subject. Depressing stories wasn't really his thing and he doubted Annabeth wanted to delve deeper into it. "Our team is sort of small, after all."

Annabeth looked at Bianca and Nico's sleeping forms. She frowned. "I don't really think we should trust them yet," she said.

"Come on," Percy said, smirking, "I _know_ you like Bianca."

Annabeth shrugged but didn't say anything. Percy pressed on,

"And besides, we are more than capable of taking care of ourselves if trouble starts to brew. You and I make a great team."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't push your luck, Seaweed Brain," she said, "I still hate you."

"Wouldn't even dream about it, Wise Girl."

Percy stood up and grabbed Riptide from the floor. Annabeth stayed where she was, thinking about what sort of plans she had in store for them but Percy was suddenly getting twitchy. The earlier talk of their families had made him realize how much he longed to his mother again. He was only able to call her every week and that was barely enough to satisfy his need to see her. He'd been racked with so much worry and anxiety for Grover that he had forgotten all about his mom. Guilt crushed his heart and he wondered how she was doing. Their apartment wasn't far from Yancy but it would take half an hour to get there if he just walked. He felt the burning desire to be reunited with his mother and ever since he had left Grover behind, he didn't think he would be able to bear it if he lost his mom as well.

He walked at a far distance but not far enough that Annabeth couldn't see him. He needed to think, even though he didn't like to very much. He was easily distracted but that must be because of his ADHD. Percy silently praised his mom for being able to keep up with a kid like him.

He leaned against the sewer wall and stared at the dark murky water. His stomach suddenly groaned in agony but he ignored it and kept thinking of a plan that might help him get back with his mom. He sighed, realizing that he didn't really have much of a choice. He just couldn't leave these guys here and Annabeth would definitely be pissed off if he did just that.

He had no choice. He might as well be trapped in a bronze jar for all he cared.

"Hey, Percy?"

Percy looked. Nico had now joined him against the wall, looking chirpy.

"Can't sleep?" Percy asked.

"Nah," Nico said, shrugging. Percy noticed a card peeking out of Nico's jacket. He pointed at it.

"What's that?"

Nico looked sheepish as he pulled out the card and gave it to Percy. Percy inspected it. He saw one of this stuff. Cards about Greek and Roman gods. He thought they were geeky but he didn't say anything. The card was of Hades, the god of the Underworld and he had pretty high stats. He gave it back to Nico whose face was getting redder by the minute.

"It's the only one I managed to get," he mumbled, "Bianca managed to swipe some for me but we had to leave our camp before the zombies got to us."

Percy had to remind himself that Nico had run away from his foster home. It made him a little sad and uncomfortable when he saw that Nico was thin and had dark shadows under his eyes.

"It's my favorite one," Nico said, smiling slightly, "I like Hades."

"Where are your parents, Nico?" Percy asked, obviously tactless, "Your _real_ parents."

It was obvious Nico didn't want to talk about it but Percy could see the pain and longing in his eyes.

"I don't know," the kid said, frowning. His voice had gotten smaller, "My mom died, I think. Bianca told me so and I don't really remember my father."

_Huh_, Percy thought, looking at their small group, _I'm in a group full of depressed kids with parent problems. How awesome._

"I don't really remember mine either," Percy said lightly, "He left before I was born but this is his board. Mom told me the old man loved to skate."

Nico looked down at Riptide which Percy had placed on the floor.

"Then you must surf really well then," Nico said, looking back at him with his dark eyes.

"Huh? Why would you say that?"

"Because if you know how to skate, then you must know how to surf too right?"

"I…uh, I never really tried it before," Percy said shyly.

Nico grinned. "If we come across some oceans or beaches, then you _have_ to try."

Percy laughed and ruffled the kid's hair. Nico blushed and Percy realized that maybe it was because the kid never had anyone who treated him like a brother or son. They leaned against the wall in silence, the smell of the sewers wafting around them. The talk about their parents made Percy long to see his mother again.

"Hey, Percy?" Nico said.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

Percy didn't need to ask what the guy meant. He knew.


	8. Chapter 8

They continued walking to who-knows-what. Annabeth led the way while Percy strayed in the back, keeping watch for any zombies. He kept swinging his skateboard back and forth since he was just so _bored_. He wished a few zombies would show up so that he could relieve tension by breaking their heads. He still hadn't given up on the idea of seeing his mom again and he was still looking for an opportunity or a chance of fate.

So when they got hungry again, Percy realized this was his chance.

"I'll get some supplies!" he volunteered bravely.

Annabeth gave him a wide-eyed look. "Are you serious?"

Percy nodded vigorously. "Yeah," he said, "I can do it alone."

Both Bianca and Nico had stopped to stare at him. Percy grinned.

"You could _die_ out there," Bianca murmured.

Percy shrugged. He had come close to being eaten and being turned into zombie food for the past few days but he always had Annabeth in his side but he couldn't bring her for two obvious reasons: a.) she was most likely not going to let him waltz at their apartment which was probably filled with zombies right now and b.) if they went together, nobody would be able to protect the di Angelos. Their protection came first and based on the way Annabeth was looking at him, his face must've been convincing enough.

She sighed. "Fine," she muttered, "but at least take Bianca with you so that you could have some back-up."

Bianca seemed surprised by this but Percy shook his head.

"No," he said forcefully, "I'm not going to let her risk her life for a couple of _food _and besides, if both of us go, there's a likely chance that we might not come back." His voice was grave when he said it.

He and Annabeth both had a stare down while Bianca and Nico glanced uneasily between them both. Annabeth's grey eyes were like a hard wall that he was constantly trying to destroy. Percy felt frustrated at her lack of faith in him but he wouldn't give up. He thought that she knew that he had an ulterior motive and he did. He just couldn't let this chance of seeing his mother and saving her slip away. Her face tightened and he raised his eyebrows. Finally, she pulled away, probably realizing that they were wasting time.

"Fine, Seaweed Brain," she said, "You can go alone." She didn't sound very happy about it.

Percy smiled.

They looked for that circular opening which led back to the surface. While they did so, Bianca tugged at his arm. He turned to look at her and saw that she was averting his gaze.

"If you don't come back," she mumbled, "I just really want to say thank you."

"For saving your asses back there?"

She rolled her eyes, glancing at Nico who was behind them. "Don't swear in front of my brother, will you?"

"Sorry," he grumbled, "but you're welcome."

She nodded, apparently satisfied and Percy jogged up to Annabeth who had called him when he and Bianca were talking. She pointed up to those openings and Percy shoved Riptide to his bag, grabbing the rungs of the ladder. In a few minutes, he would be able to breathe that fresh air and actually see sunlight but before he could go, Annabeth grabbed his hand.

"Wait," she hissed. She looked angry and pissed off. Percy wondered what he was doing wrong. Surely, Annabeth would very much want to get rid of him but he hoped that she didn't really want him dead. He annoyed her greatly and sometimes, annoyance is all that it takes to push someone too far.

"Yeah?" Percy said.

She took a deep agonizing breath before she continued, "If you die out there, I won't forgive you."

Percy was obviously surprised. So much had changed in the past days between them. He had actually learned to appreciate the fact that they were together. He was also glad that they hadn't basically tore each other's head apart with the way they were getting along.

"I thought you hated—erm, _disliked_ me," he said.

"I do," she persisted but there was a knowing glint in her eyes, as if she knew something he didn't, which she probably did, "but we make a great team, remember?"

The corners of Percy's lips lifted into a smile. He nodded before turning back to the circular opening. He climbed the ladder carefully since the metal was rusty and basically hurt. His heart pounded at the thought of seeing his mother again. He could feel sweat trailing down his neck and when he reached the top, he pushed the heavy latch with one hand, taking a long time for it to finally budge. He pulled himself up to the surface, relishing the air that was immediately inhaled by his lungs and noticing that it was the middle of the night. He looked down at the sewers again and met Annabeth's grim face.

"Stay there," he said, "I'll try to be quick and if I'm not back by two hours, maybe then keep moving forward."

She didn't argue. She did what was best for the team. As Percy shut the opening again, he silently wished that it wouldn't be the last time he would see Annabeth.

.

Percy pretty much knew his way around the city. He could remember the signs and the streets and the people who used to live in this apartment or in that building. Seeing it all deserted and empty made his chest ache. He grabbed a sharp stone and drew an huge X on the sewer opening which he had exited. He hoped that he wouldn't get lost or lose track of it. Zombies lurked around the streets, groaning and sometimes snarling when they heard something. It was difficult to navigate around since it was too dark and his eyes weren't used to it and there was also the possibility that he might mistake foe for friend so he decided to stay near the alleyways, where there were fewer zombies.

He thought that getting the supplies would be the first priority so he rounded a corner and found a convenience store just across the street. Its lights were still on, still flickering with the electricity that it had left. He could see rows of canned goods and bottled water. He hoped there was a bag on sale there since he was pretty sure that the supplies he would be getting wouldn't fit. His limbs pumped with the desire and adrenaline to get those stuffs he needed but there was a major problem. There were about five to ten zombies blocking his path and he couldn't see any opening.

"Fuck," he swore, knowing that he was basically out of options. If Annabeth were here, she'd know what to do.

His mind racked with endless ideas and possibilities. He considered just diving in there and locking himself in the store but that would be too rash and crazy. He danced with the idea of playing dead with the dead but he doubted that would really work in real life. He needed a _real_ plan. A foolproof one.

The answer knocked him on the head and he slumped against the alley wall, passing out immediately as he heard a voice,

"Oops, not zombie."

.

He woke up minutes later, suffering a horrible headache. He was still in the same alleyway and thankfully, whoever had attacked him hadn't left him for dead. He opened his eyes, his vision blurry at first. He kept thinking that he was seeing stars and when he forced himself to sit up; huge bulky hands grabbed his shoulders and shook him roughly. He closed his eyes and tried not to vomit.

"Are you okay?" A deep voice grumbled.

Percy felt pain stabbing the back of his eyelids. He groaned and shook his head which made the headache worst.

"For fuck's sake," Percy said, "did you hit me with a brick or something?"

He opened his eyes and nearly jumped. A huge face was looming inches from his. Percy could see that the other guy had messy brown hair and big brown eyes. The guy was enormous and towered over Percy like an elephant but when the other guy smiled, revealing some crooked teeth, he actually looked pretty harmless but the thought immediately vanished when Percy remembered his headache.

He touched the back of his head, hissing. "God, that hurts," he said.

The other guy frowned. "Sorry, I didn't mean to," he muttered.

"You're human, at least," Percy said, "As long as you're not a zombie, I'm okay with getting hit with bricks."

The other guy leaned back and hefted a weapon in his hand. _Oh goodie_, Percy thought. He got hit by a shovel.

"My name is Tyson," the other guy said, standing up and offering a hand to Percy.

Percy hesitated. "I'll take your hand if you promise not to hit me again," he said.

Tyson frowned. With those big eyes and crooked teeth, Percy was greatly reminded of a big fat baby.

"I promise I won't hit you again," Tyson said, looking confused.

Percy sighed before grabbing Tyson's hand and letting the guy pull him up. His head was still throbbing but it had numbed somehow. He looked at Tyson who looked at him.

"Team up?" Percy asked.

Tyson grinned, resembling the big fat baby Percy had in mind. "Team up," he agreed.

Percy ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know whether or not to trust this dude. He was pretty sure Annabeth would say something annoying about making sure that the people he met weren't crazy or mentally ill people but as Percy continued to look at Tyson, he felt bad about the thought of leaving the big fat baby he had just met.

"I'm Percy, by the way," Percy greeted, stretching out a hand, "Percy Jackson."

Tyson shook. "Me? I'm just Tyson."

Percy's eyebrows tugged in confusion. "Orphan?"

The big guy shrugged. "Street kid," he answered and there was a deep ache and sadness in those brown eyes which Percy associated with Nico. For all he knew, Tyson was anything _but_ a kid. The dude looked ready to face an army of the dead and he barely looked sixteen. He looked close to twenty, in fact.

"Anyway," Percy said, glancing over at the store. Zombies were still walking around it, making no openings or whatsoever, "I need to get inside that store. I need supplies for some friends."

Tyson looked surprised. "You're not alone?"

Percy shook his head. "Nah," he said, "and they're waiting for me."

Tyson looked wistful as he stared at the store and the gears in Percy's head started working overtime. He needed a plan. He just had to be smart enough to formulate one. Tyson was also deep in concentration and Percy observed the puzzle before him, trying to decipher a way out or its meaning.

"You know," Tyson said, voice surprisingly soft, "Zombies can't really hear well. Maybe you could use that as an advantage."

Percy was obviously shocked at the answer that Tyson had just given him. Yes, it was so simple and so easy to do. If anything went wrong, it could be easily improvised but the more he thought about it, the more he felt bad for burdening Tyson with the task beforehand.

Then he thought about Annabeth—Annabeth who was never going to forgive him if he died. Sometimes, there were risks that were absolutely worth taking.

Percy turned to Tyson, looking grim. "I need your help," he said.

Tyson grinned that crooked grin. "Anything for a friend," he said.

"Erm." Now Percy felt horrible for doing this. "I need you as bait."


	9. Chapter 9

To his surprise, Tyson was pretty willing to risk his life just to get some food from a store. Even though Percy still resented the guy for hitting him so hard in the back of the head, he could admit the fact that Tyson was actually decent in the personality department.

They set up a quick plan and Percy got in position. He placed his skateboard on the ground and set his foot down, careful not to make any noises to attract any zombies. He waited for Tyson's signal which would definitely be hard to miss. He just hoped that something bad wouldn't happen or Tyson would still remember everything Percy told him. He silently prayed to God or any god for that matter so that this plan would go on smoothly.

There was a roar of a car engine and Percy looked. Some zombies had already looked up, snarling and groaning. Percy's heart rate quickened as he searched for a familiar face but it slowed down again when he didn't see anybody he knew. He immediately felt guilty for being relieved that these people were what they were.

The sounds of tires screeching against the pavement broke his thoughts. He craned his neck from his hiding position and watched as Tyson, riding in a small blue minivan, tore through the street while laughing like a maniac. The zombies all moved as one, knowing that prey was right in front of them. Predator instincts kicked in and they stumbled forward, trying to catch the car in vain. Percy waited until the last one rounded a corner before he placed his foot on Riptide and skated forward. Once he stopped in front of the shop, he tilted the tail of his board and skidded to a halt.

His heart was pounding and he glanced over his shoulder to make sure no zombies had followed him. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that the street was deserted. He could hear Tyson still laughing and he silently thanked the guy before heading inside the empty store.

The lights were on but some were flickering. Percy could see rows and rows of canned goods and all the good stuff but the place smelled rotten and just plain…_wrong_. Percy held his breath and hurried to the first row. The shelves were full of pastries and he decided that it wasn't a good idea since pastries were mostly going to get molds in a few days. He turned to the second row and was relieved to find canned goods. He shoved most of them onto his bag and when he looked around some more, he decided to get some peanut butter for Nico and some books by the counter for Annabeth. He felt like that was all he really needed and he walked out of the store with a smile on his face.

It was as if it was waiting for him. As soon as Percy stepped out, the zombie with the slightly curly blonde hair tackled him to the ground. Percy fell hard, his shoulder hitting the pavement. He grunted in pain and started to crawl away; knowing that if he stopped for even a second, the zombie would get him. It was still nighttime so his vision was barely enough. He pushed himself to a standing position but he was off balance and his bag slipped off his shoulder and by the sounds of metal crashing to the ground, the canned goods had spilled out. He cursed blindly as he heard the zombie groan, its feet scuffling forward towards him. Percy searched for Riptide which had tumbled out of his hands but then the zombie had its hands on his shoulder and then he felt its tangy and rotten breath against the back of his neck. Its grip was strong and Percy tried to wiggle out but the zombie held on. He gritted his teeth and elbowed the abomination. It didn't work; zombies couldn't feel a thing.

Percy felt his temper explode and he whipped around so quickly that the zombie, who was still holding on, slammed to the side and hit the wall. Percy immediately disregarded the search for Riptide and shoved his right arm to the zombie's neck. He forced down the contents of his stomach as he leaned close to the enemy, inhaling that deep rotten smell.

"I've had it—" he started to say and then his eyes widened when he finally saw the zombie's gaunt face.

It had curly blonde hair which was now half covered in blood and grime. The violet-colored eyes stared blankly at him and the mouth, which had always been smiling and making stupid jokes, was scrunched up in a snarl. Percy knew him and he felt as if the world was crashing down to the ground. He knew this zombie. He _knew_ him.

"Castor," Percy whispered and even though he wanted to back up in revulsion, he kept his arm in its place, "Castor. _Castor._" He couldn't believe it. Castor had been a student back at Yancy Academy and was always throwing huge parties and getting drunk in classes and the fact that _that_ Castor was now a dead zombie killing for flesh and blood was enough to rock Percy's world.

Then Percy remembered something. Castor had a twin. Pollux. The thought of finding another survivor sent his brain reeling.

"Pollux," he said, "What happened to Pollux, Castor? Is he dead? Is he one of you?"

But all Castor did was lean forward and snap at his face. Percy stared into those glazed and dead violet eyes once more before grabbing the front of Castor's orange shirt. He squeezed his eyes shut, knowing that what he was going to do next would be the best thing for Castor and even Pollux but the worst thing for him. He pulled back and with tremendous strength, slammed the back of Castor's head onto the wall behind him. There was a sickening noise of bone shattering and flesh tearing and Percy felt blood trail down the back of Castor's head. He let go without opening his eyes and then stumbled back, falling onto his butt and shuddering for a very long time.

.

"Percy?"

Percy didn't know how long he sat there but the sky was already brightening when he heard the screech of car tires and Tyson's big voice and heavy footsteps. He raised his head, knowing that he probably looked pale and dead and that the guilt and shock was probably etched on every line of his face.

Tyson knelt in front of him, looking windswept and giddy but those emotions slipped when he saw Percy.

"What happened?" Tyson asked and his eyebrows puckered, "Are you…are you bit?"

"No," Percy's voice felt scratchy in his throat, "No, I'm not."

He didn't say anything else and Tyson looked around, his huge eyes finally resting on Castor's body. Percy shuddered once again when he saw those dead violet eyes and the blood around the head. He resisted the urge to throw up.

"Were…" Tyson hesitated, looking embarrassed, "Were you scared?"

"He's my friend," Percy murmured, "Well, he _used_ to be, before he became a zombie and I killed him."

Tyson said nothing. Percy was suddenly scared that Tyson might chastise him. Killing his zombie friend was bad enough but getting scolded by a homeless kid seemed worse but Tyson simply shook his head and sat next to him on the ground.

"I would've done the same thing, honestly," he said, shrugging, "I wouldn't want my friend to stay that way."

Percy looked at him, wondering if Tyson was just saying that to make him feel better but no, the big guy looked deadly serious.

"Really?" Percy croaked.

Tyson grinned. His teeth were crooked and dirty. "Really," he said.

Percy nodded, suddenly feeling a lot better. It no longer mattered if he was feeling bad; at least Castor was now at peace. He stood up though his legs felt shaky after sitting down for so long. He could see more clearly now and he saw that Riptide was now just a few feet to the right and that the bag was lying on the left. Tyson followed his gaze and moved to get the bag as Percy walked over to his fallen board.

When he stretched his arms to take it, he saw Castor's blood on his skin, etched there like a faded tattoo, determined to haunt him. He paused, the night rolling in his head but he shook the memories away and tucked Riptide under his arm.

"Where now?" Tyson asked after they loaded the canned goods back in Percy's bag.

Percy took his time reorganizing his thoughts. It was difficult since they were muddled with guilt and sadness but he finally remembered the main reason why he was here.

"My mom," he blurted out, wincing at the sound of his desperate voice.

Tyson looked at him carefully. "What about her?"

"I—" Suddenly, Percy felt ridiculous. Tyson had already risked his life just to get some food. Percy didn't want to burden the guy any longer. His heart fell. Maybe his mom was gone. Maybe she was one of them already. Or maybe she had escaped somehow and was hiding out in the city. It still didn't change his mind. Annabeth was right; there was no point in checking up on someone who was most likely dead.

But Tyson gave him a small twisted smile. "You want to see if she's okay?"

Percy looked down. "We don't have time anymore, Tyson."

"Don't worry," Tyson said cheerfully, grinning, "I'd like to meet your mom."

Percy couldn't speak so all he could do was nod. It seemed like a brittle way to say thanks but Tyson just shook his head and patted his back, like what a brother would do.

.

A/N: I AM SO SORRY I TOOK SO LONG TO UPDATE. I LOST THE ORIGINAL ONE FOR THIS AND HAD TO RESTART OVER AND THAT DISCOURAGED ME. ALSO, SCHOOL HAS BEEN HECTIC AND MY COUNTRY IS JUST IN MOURNING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF TYPHOON YOLANDA (IM NOT SURE WHAT ITS CALLED IN OTHER COUNTRIES) SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME.


	10. Chapter 10

Percy and Tyson abandoned the minivan. They couldn't risk being detected in the streets and they hung around in the alleyways. Percy led the way, riding his skateboard slowly so that Tyson could keep up. The night was turning into day and the cold turning to warmth. Tyson was holding the bag of canned goods but he was surprisingly fast.

"Hey, Percy?" Tyson called as they rounded a corner.

"Yeah?" Percy said.

Tyson sighed deeply. His shoulders sagged and there was something uncertain in his brown eyes.

"What's it like?" he finally asked.

"Huh?" Percy stopped and so did Tyson.

"Having a mom?" Tyson added, looking sheepish.

Percy stared. Conflicting emotions warred up inside him. Sadness, pity, guilt and all the other stuff that makes humans feel pitiful for other humans. He took a deep breath, not really sure if he felt comfortable talking about his mostly dead mother to a homeless kid.

"It's like having a best friend," Percy said slowly and quietly, "You get to share with them all the good times and the bad times and they love you for who you are, not because they are entitled to but…that's the thing, Tyson. Friends leave. Friends abandon you. Mothers? They never do."

Percy felt like he was doing a bad job of explaining mothers. He also felt as if he was lying since mothers leave their kids all the time but he didn't want to tell Tyson that. He wanted Tyson to know what it feels to be loved by someone so deeply. He wanted this big homeless kid who didn't have a home to understand what it was like to have that someone ripped away from you because of this stupid fucking apocalypse. He simply wanted another human being to know the horror and grief he was feeling inside at the thought of losing his best friend and not being able to save his own mother.

Percy looked at Tyson who looked wistful and thoughtful at the same time. He smiled and then nodded and Percy suddenly knew that his job was accomplished, that Tyson _actually_ understood.

"What's it like then?" Percy asked.

Tyson looked confused. "About what?"

Percy shrugged, suddenly realizing that his question was tactless and insensitive but Tyson was looking at him expectantly.

"Being a homeless," Percy muttered, "Being alone."

Tyson frowned, his brown eyes glazing over. Percy waited patiently.

"It's sad," Tyson said simply, adjusting the bag on his shoulder, "It's what it is. Sad and lonely."

Percy didn't have anything to say to that. They continued their journey, having to smash some skulls on the way. Percy was getting increasingly worried about Annabeth and the others. He had promised her two hours but after wallowing in despair because of Castor's death, he knew that more than two hours had already gone by. Annabeth would've moved forward already then. Bianca and Nico would've gladly followed but Percy and Tyson had made up their minds.

They were going to find out if Sally Jackson was alive or not.

Percy finally led them to his old street where their apartment stood. It was tall and red bricked, with a fire escape leaning out on the side. The streets were strangely bare with only two zombies walking around. After being the cause for Castor's death, Percy was glad that those zombies weren't anybody he knew.

"I'll take them," Tyson said suddenly before Percy could surge forward, "You go ahead and look for your mom."

Percy stared at Tyson carefully before nodding. "I'll be back."

Tyson grinned, lifting his shovel and looking determined.

"Don't be dead," he said cheerfully.

"I'll try not to be," and with those comforting and hopefully not last words, Percy turned and started running to the apartment. The two zombies looked up and began coming for him but then Tyson was there, a force to be reckoned with but Percy kept his eyes on that door, blocking out all the grunting and snarling.

He tried the doorknob. It was locked. Typical. He threw his full body weight on it and his shoulder screamed in pain but he didn't dare stop. His mother could be inside, trapped or screaming for her son. His heart ached for her and sweat trailed down the back of his neck and face, plastering his messy hair on his cheekbones. He kept going at the door again and again until it finally gave way after the fifth hit.

"After twenty fucking years," Percy swore under his breath.

The apartment looked the same inside but he was horrified to see previous tenants' bodies lying on the floor, smashed to bits or mostly eaten. The nasty smell hit him full on but he ignored it, knowing that his mother was on the fifth floor, at the farthest room to the right. Percy climbed the stairs, not trusting the elevator. His arms pumped at his sides, his heartbeat throbbing in his ears. He was so close. He could smell home, feel its warmth and love seeping through his skin. _I'm coming, mom_, he thought. His face broke out into a smile when he reached his floor. The doors were all open and Percy could see trails of blood leading to the window. His heart fell and the smile melted. What if that was his mom's blood?

He dodged broken debris and crushed furniture littering in the hallway and headed straight to the last door on the right. He lunged inside, expecting to see more zombies or his mom or his mom's body on the floor but there was nothing. Only toppled furniture, shattered glass and all the other crap that had once been a part of his home. His mother wasn't there. There were no blood smears or blood trails around but that couldn't be comfort. Percy's heart was crushed with sorrow and guilt.

"Mom," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

He sat down on the ground, not even wincing when he accidentally cut his hand with a shard of glass. Blood gushed out slowly, mixing with the dried blood that had been Castor's. He pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his face onto them, tears threatening to destroy the last of his hope and dignity. His life was gone. His best friend was gone. And now…it was his mom. His whole life was just some stupid pathetic joke.

He rocked back and forth and he could almost feel his sanity breaking. Zombies…apocalypse…deaths…none of them made any sense anymore. His hope was lost now and there was nothing he could do about it.

Unconsciously, he pulled out Grover's reed pipe, the one he took from their dorm room back at Yancy's. It was old and brittle but could still play. Grover used to play this when he was bored or sad and needed some cheering up. Sometimes, he did it for Percy but there was no best friend to play it for him any longer. Because Grover Underwood was most likely dead.

Percy didn't know how to play but he put his lips onto them and whistled. The noise that came from the instrument was high pitched. Percy winced, looking horribly depressed before shaking his head, knowing that if his mother was still alive, she would want him to move on.

He walked towards the kitchen, trying to look for any supplies she might have left behind. He searched through the cupboards, checking everything. Occasionally, he would look out the window, wondering where Tyson was. Surely, two zombies were a breeze for the guy. Worry gnawed at his chest. If something happened to Tyson, he wouldn't be able to stand it.

He turned to his old room which looked the same as ever, through abandoned. There were still famous skateboarders plastered on the wall and as he moved to the study desk, he could still see the photographs he had left behind, photographs with Grover and his mom. There was one taken at the lobby of the Empire State Building. He took it, smiling at the sight of Grover and his mother's worn but young face. He traced his finger over Grover's grinning look, his rascal hat and acne noticeable in the bright lobby.

An ache started in his chest and as he turned away, he tucked in the photo onto his back pocket, next to the reed pipe.

He grabbed some old bags and shoved some old clothes he had left behind before moving into the Academy. He grabbed the granola bars he had safely tucked in his study desk drawer and closed it, feeling depressed. He couldn't save Grover and he couldn't find his mom and as he headed out to the door without looking back, he knew that he wouldn't ever try to lose Annabeth and the others, no matter how many zombies stood his way.

.

When he got out of the apartment, Tyson immediately leapt from an alleyway, looking bloodied but otherwise okay. His face, however, looked downright terrified. Percy instantly knew that something was wrong.

"What happened?" he demanded.

Tyson shuddered. "You didn't hear?" he asked softly, "Some big guys came out of nowhere and killed some zombies on the other road. With guns."

"Survivors?" Percy perked up.

"Yes, but there was something wrong with them."

The thought of finding more people, more humans who had lost somebody was appealing to Percy. He wanted to find them at once but one look at Tyson's worried and scared face was enough to diminish the idea. He wanted to protect the guy as much as he wanted to protect poor little and innocent Nico di Angelo. Those other survivors would have to wait soon. He didn't want to burden Tyson any longer.

"Okay, let's go."

Percy turned to move but then Tyson said,

"What about your mom?"

He froze, guilt and grief threatening to crush his heart again. He forced himself not to cry.

"She wasn't here," he said simply.

Tyson didn't say anything else but gladly followed Percy as they looked for another way to head inside the sewers.


	11. Chapter 11

Percy didn't realize just how much the sewers stank until he was breathing it all in again.

He and Tyson dropped to the ground, their footsteps echoing across the walls. Percy looked around, taking note of the lights on the sewer ceilings and the dark murky water. He could see that the tunnel led to two ways, to left and right. Crossroad. A decision. He hated them.

Tyson walked over to stand next to him. He grunted, shifting the bag with canned goods with his right hand and the shovel with his left.

"What now?" he asked.

Percy tried to listen to any sounds that could lead to Annabeth. He heard none. He let out a sigh of frustration.

"Can you hear anything?" he told Tyson softly.

Tyson frowned before closing his eyes and listening. Percy tried to wait patiently but with every second that passed was a day farther from finding Annabeth and the others. He was a second away from exploding when Tyson opened his eyes, pointed to the left side and said, "There."

Percy was stunned. "How'd you know?"

"I can hear hushed voices from that side," Tyson replied, shrugging.

Percy was still having trouble digesting that in but he nodded and turned in that direction. Tyson followed suit, grunting every now and then as he adjusted the heavy bag. They walked slowly, trying not to make too much noise. Hopefully, when they find Annabeth, she wouldn't beat him senseless with her baseball bat. He had promised her two hours but had surpassed the time limit. She had every right to be pissed at him.

The smell of the sewers tickled his nostrils and clouded his thoughts. His stomach grumbled and he took out a granola bar, shared one with Tyson and ate it slowly to replenish energy. It was a good thing that he couldn't think straight with the hunger because he didn't want to think about his mother and how he had failed yet again to save someone he loved.

Tyson munched noisily on the bar, his eyes thoughtful.

"Hey, Percy?" he called as they continued walking.

Percy closed his eyes and swayed slightly. "Yeah?"

"Why do you think this…_thing _happened?"

"This _thing_? You mean the zombies?"

Tyson nodded, looking sheepish again. Percy thought a lot about that, ever since Michael Yew tried to kill him after being supposedly dead but he didn't want to delve deeper since he didn't really want to believe it as well.

"I don't know," Percy answered finally, frowning.

Tyson didn't say anything else. They walked forward in silence and Tyson only spoke when crossroads came again, claiming to hear more hushed voices. Percy didn't complain; he just needed a guide, a way to move forward even though that might lead to certain death.

When Percy felt as if they had just walked for hours and for miles, Tyson stopped a gleeful look on his childish face. Immediately, Percy jerked up, fully awake and fully energized now. He could hear the voices as well, too low to be understood but they were there, waiting for them.

Percy ran, his heart pounding loudly against his chest. Yes, he was going to see familiar faces again. He was going to see annoying Annabeth Chase, shy and overprotective Bianca di Angelo and of course, small and innocent Nico di Angelo. He had spent a whole day without them and he wanted to see the family abandoned and lost group of children he and Annabeth had herded up.

When he rounded a corner, he halted to a stop, his lips twisting into a grin.

"Hiya, Chase," he called.

The three children were sitting on the sewer walls, looking exhausted. Nico and Bianca were talking quietly with Nico fingering his Mythomagic card, looking bored. Annabeth was leaning near them, holding her baseball bat on her shoulder. The sight of them was like a breath of fresh air for Percy.

Annabeth had looked up and disbelief and anger crossed her features. Her grey eyes lit up in flames and Percy diverted his attention to the di Angelo siblings. They were staring at him, awestruck with a little bit of fear. That might have been directed to Tyson.

"You—" Annabeth began to say, straightening up and walking towards him. Percy braced himself for the hit from the baseball bat. "You stupid fucking—" she couldn't seem to find any words horrible enough for him.

"Idiot? Asshole? Bitch?" Percy supplied, grinning.

Annabeth paused, only a foot in front of him. Conflicting emotions showed on her face and Percy was surprised to see absolute relief there.

"Seaweed Brain," she finally finished before flinging her arms around his neck and embracing him so tightly that he could barely breathe. Heat flushed onto his face and before he could say something that would totally ruin the mood, she had let go and had now punched him on the arm. He winced. He deserved that.

"Did you get the supplies?" Annabeth asked and Percy jabbed a thumb behind him.

Her grey eyes followed and she tensed when she saw Tyson.

"Hi," Tyson said, grinning, "I'm Tyson."

"Annabeth," Annabeth said warily, giving Percy a strange look.

"Percy brought some food," Tyson said and he swung the bag from his shoulder and opened it. The canned goods spilled out and not to mention some peanut butter. Also, Percy wasn't stupid enough to not bring plastic spoons and a can opener. Bianca and Nico stood up, their faces filled with longing and desire. Percy knelt and grabbed a bean soup. He handed it to Annabeth whose face was pained.

"You okay?" Percy asked, taking a plastic spoon and giving it to her.

"I'm fine," Annabeth said though her voice shook slightly.

"Well, if you say so." Percy didn't believe her one bit.

They all took some cans and greedily began eating. Percy introduced Tyson to the others who had warmed up to him, except for Annabeth though. She stood closer to Percy than he would've liked and kept giving Tyson weird looks. Percy knew that she obviously didn't trust him.

When their bellies were full, Nico started asking questions.

"So, how did you guys find us?" His dark eyes looked at Percy in admiration.

"Tyson heard you," Percy answered, shrugging. He glanced over at Tyson who was grinning at him, apparently knowing the fact that Percy hadn't believed him before. Percy wondered how Tyson could easily read him, how he had known that Percy had wanted to find his mother, how he knew that Percy hadn't believed Tyson and Percy slowly realized that the big guy simply just saw the thoughts running through his head; Percy Jackson had become transparent.

Annabeth interrupted his thoughts by nudging his shoulder with hers. He snapped out of his reverie and looked at her curiously. He could still see the anger and disbelief coursing through her grey eyes but she still looked relieved which was a good thing.

"What?" Percy asked.

"Where'd you find him?" she whispered.

"In the streets; he accidentally knocked me unconscious," he answered, grimacing at the memory.

"No wonder you took so long then," she said coldly and he bit his lip. She might be relieved but she still hadn't forgiven him.

"Look, Annabeth, I'm sorry—"

"Don't," Annabeth cut in harshly; Tyson gave Percy a confused look.

Percy felt some of his anger coming back. He wanted to tell Annabeth that he wanted to find his mother but he knew that she would just get more angry and irritated. She hated her mom—both of them, from what he heard and he definitely wasn't going to get some pity for it.

"Fine," Percy snapped and he moved away from her, heading towards Nico.

Nico's olive skinned face brightened up as Percy neared him.

"Hey," Percy greeted, sitting down.

"Hi," Nico said, almost shyly.

Bianca, who was sitting to Nico's left, looked up from reading the peanut butter label.

"Thanks for the food," she said, smiling.

"It's not a problem," Percy said, shrugging.

"Annabeth was worried sick about you, you know," Nico said, poking his arm lightly.

Percy glanced over at Annabeth who had discovered the books he had gotten for her. Her hard face softened incredibly and even though Percy thought the book was about some boring animals, she flipped it open and began reading. Some habits never go away.

"She was?" Percy asked, tearing his eyes away from her. Nico was grinning.

"Yeah, she almost wanted to stay but she knew that we had to keep going," he said.

Percy felt something inside his chest stir but it was only for a moment that he could imagine that he hadn't felt it.

"Nice to know that she _actually _cares about me," Percy muttered, "even for a little."

"Oh, I don't know," Bianca piped up, brushing off the dark hair that got in the way of her eyes, "I think she cares a lot about you."

"Nah, she doesn't," Percy insisted, "She hates—erm, _dislikes_ me."

Both Bianca and Nico tilted their heads.

"Really?" Bianca said, waving her hands in a wild gesture, "Then how'd you end up together."

"Long story short: we sort of got stuck with each other."

Bianca didn't say anything else but he could see that she was thinking deeply. Nico, however, moved to another subject.

"So, did you pick this for me?" he asked, pointing to the peanut butter jar in Bianca's hand.

"Yeah." Percy shrugged. "Kids love peanut butter."

"Gee, thanks, Percy," Nico said, grinning so hugely that his lips nearly reached his ears.

They stayed quiet for a moment. Percy looked at Tyson who had somehow blended into the backdrop, holding his shovel across his chest. He caught Percy's eye and grinned.

"Tyson's a good guy," Percy said, turning back to Nico, "I just want you to know that."

Nico crossed his legs and placed his hands on his knees, staring at Tyson.

"He looks scary," Nico said finally, "I mean, he just does."

"Don't worry," Percy promised, "He acts like a big baby." He thought for a moment then added, "He just wants some friends for company."

"That's sad," Bianca murmured.

Percy remembered Tyson's words about being a street kid: _It's what it is. Sad and lonely._

"Yeah, it is," he agreed.

And before either Bianca or Nico could say anything else, they heard shouts and screams from above the sewers. Percy froze, knowing that scream anywhere and he looked over at Annabeth who was already halfway from standing up. They locked gazes and together, they ran to the nearest ladder.


	12. Chapter 12

Annabeth got through first and Percy hastily followed. He glanced over his shoulder, shouted:

"Tyson, stay here and guard the supplies! Bianca and Nico, stay with him!"

Tyson looked very ready to protest but he faltered, seeing that wild and desperate look on Percy's face. He nodded and Percy climbed the ladder, right at Annabeth's heels. He could see sunlight up ahead. It was in the middle of the afternoon and he breathed in that fresh air greedily, knowing that he would have to go back to the sewers later on.

Annabeth emerged, followed closely by Percy. His eyes had to adjust to the bright glare of the sunlight and he could smell the rotten scent of decaying bodies. He pushed himself from the hole and took out Riptide from his bag. The board felt lighter in his hand and it must be because he was fully energized now.

He saw about five zombies circling four people. His heart leapt to his throat. Yes, new and familiar faces. He recognized them immediately and he jumped into action, swinging his board. He slammed onto the first zombie's skull and it shattered, spraying blood and brain guts everywhere. Someone screamed. A second zombie turned to him right then and launched forward, spit flying. Percy ducked and kicked it with his right leg. It stumbled and he saw Annabeth come up to it and slam her baseball bat on its head. More blood. More gore. Percy sucked in a deep breath and stood up.

Three zombies remained but the four people quickly subdued them. Percy felt his lips twist into a smile as they all looked at him gratitude.

"Jackson," Clarisse La Rue said coolly, brown hair matted to her face with sweat.

He looked at each face carefully. Standing next to Clarisse was Chris Rodriguez, a guy with curly hair and a Hispanic heritage. He smiled, showing off his pearly white teeth. Behind them were Charles Beckendorf and Silena Beauregard. Silena had been the one screaming. Percy knew because he's heard her scream over cockroaches for a really long time now. They were all his classmates and they were all here. Percy could see how much the apocalypse had taken its toll on them. Clarisse had bruises and scratches on her biceps. Chris was limping slightly. Charlies's dark hair was unruly and messy, no longer had the flat buzz cut Percy liked. Silena's black hair was tangled and she didn't seem to be wearing any make-up, which was a first.

"How'd you get here?" Annabeth demanded but she was looking at Silena in relief.

Chris was the one who answered, "We were in the school. Everybody was gone. I was in my dorm and I woke up when a zombie came in. It was…horrible. I looked around and found Clarisse. We stuck together since then."

Percy looked at Beckendorf. Nobody called him Charles.

"And you?" he asked.

"It all started really weirdly," Beckendorf, glancing at Silena, "Everybody was in their dorms and the fire alarm rang and teachers started herding everybody out. I was supposed to go and I was at the back of the crowd when I realized that Silena and erm, Clarisse wasn't around so I looked for them but I didn't find them. When I got back to the gym—that's where everybody was supposed to go—nobody was around. I wandered around a bit and finally found these two."

Annabeth was thinking deeply. Percy was staring at the bloodied mess at his feet.

"So," Annabeth concluded, "that means that this whole thing started when the fire alarm rang. Not everybody must've gone out since there were still zombies back at the school but the question is: where did the teachers take the students?"

"Safety, I s'ppose," Silena said, looking miserable.

They fell into silence, realizing that they were the abandoned, the left behinds.

"Where are you guys going?" Percy finally asked.

Chris's eyes glazed over. "Nowhere, I guess."

Annabeth glanced over at Percy who shrugged and nodded. "Do you guys want to come with us?" she asked timidly, "We've got some food and numbers. It's your choice if you don't want to."

Immediately, Clarisse, Chris and Beckendorf surged forward. "Food?" they all said at the same time and their faces melted to embarrassment. Percy grinned.

"Yeah," Annabeth chirped brightly, looking relieved.

The four people nodded. Percy felt something in chest soar and as they turned around, he patted Annabeth on the shoulder and squeezed. He smiled at her and she smiled hesitantly back.

They got through the ladder one by one and since Percy was the last to go down, he made sure to close the entrance. They all dropped to the ground and Silena complained loudly, "Gosh, it _stinks_ here!"

"That's an understatement," Clarisse murmured.

Tyson hurried towards them, looking immensely relieved. Bianca and Nico stayed back warily.

"Who's that?" Beckendorf asked.

"This is Tyson," Percy said, gesturing, "He's helped us a lot. Those two over there are the di Angelos. The girl is Bianca, the boy Nico."

Chris looked around, pursing his lips. "Glad to see that you're all comfortable," he remarked.

"It's better than nothing, actually," Percy said and he walked over to his bag and grabbed four canned goods with four plastic spoons and the can opener before giving them to Beckendorf. His classmates' eyes widened considerably and they immediately started fighting over which can was theirs.

Percy grinned. A bunch of sixteen year olds fighting over some food like kids. Typical.

Bianca and Nico stepped towards them.

"Who are they?" whispered Bianca.

Percy pointed out their names quickly. Bianca nodded. Nico crossed his arms, looking shy.

"So, they're here to stay?" he asked.

Percy didn't answer. He leaned against the sewer wall and dropped to his butt. Tyson, looking equally exhausted, dropped down next to him. Percy hadn't realized just how much his entire body craved sleep and even though he tried to push away the thoughts of that empty apartment and Castor's very dead body, they kept coming back to him when he closed his eyes.

He heard Bianca's voice over the grunts and swears of Clarisse,

"You should sleep, Percy. We can take watch."

He placed Riptide next to him and tried to imagine life before zombies. It seemed like a faraway dream, a happy ending that naturally ended. He could hear Tyson snuggling in and then there were his deep and heavy snores. His classmates' voices quietened down to harsh whispers and then he felt someone else sit next to his other side. He opened his eyes a fraction of an inch, saw Annabeth's curly blonde hair and closed them once more, the image of his abandoned room flashing behind his eyelids. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard Annabeth whisper,

"I'm really glad you're okay, Seaweed Brain, even though you scared me half to death."

He smirked, murmuring, "That's what I do, Wise Girl."

.

He dreamt that he was back in Montauk with his mom. It was their favourite place in the world, the place where his mother met his dad. She never told him who he was, only saying that she fell in love with a sea man and he got lost at sea. Percy never believed it when he got older. He finally knew what she had been too scared to say: his father had abandoned him. That's what all the crappy dads do nowadays.

But right now? In the dream, there was no mention of his crappy father. There was only the two of them, mother and son, enjoying a day at the beach. The sun was gentle on his skin and the sea air filled his nostrils with happy memories. He looked at his mother who was drinking a fruit drink.

"I'm sorry, mom," he said suddenly. The words had just slipped out and he remembered what was happening in the real world, the real state his mother was in. The dream distorted, making the sun turn black and sea red. He felt his breath catch in his throat as his mother melted into blood and bones, her skin like a puddle around the remains. He jerked up, horrified and he resisted the urge to barf.

And then Grover was suddenly there, dark red blood spilling from his lips. The beach had disappeared and Percy was now surrounded with the smell of death and rotten flesh. Grover stumbled towards him, looking pained and desperate. It broke Percy's heart to see him like this, to see him tortured.

"Percy," Grover said and he fell to the ground, still looking at Percy with his dead dead eyes, "You left me. You left me for…_them_."

Percy fell to his knees and shook Grover's shoulders, tears stinging his eyes. "No, no, _no_," he murmured, "Grover, don't. Please. _Please_."

Grover's head dropped and blood spattered on the pavement. Tears sprang into Percy's eyes as he wrapped his arms around his best friend's neck, bringing him close to his chest as the pain and guilt crushed his heart, making it harder to breathe and making it even harder to keep going. He had lost his mother and Grover and this…this nightmare had brought the agony of knowing that he hadn't saved them, that he had left them to their own fate. It killed Percy to know this.

Then suddenly, Grover moved and Percy looked down, wondering if he'd see Grover's smirk or that shy smile but he froze when Grover raised his head, his eyes glazed and his mouth still dripping blood. Then Grover opened his mouth and dug his teeth onto Percy's arm. Percy screamed the pain anew, taking over his body like fire. He tried to wiggle out but it was too much…he could feel his life fading away…he could feel his best friend taking that life away and tears rolled down his cheeks, masking his face in a horrible and deadly way.

Everything turned black and a new hunger took over.

.

Percy woke up shivering. His eyes were soaked and Goosebumps ran across his arms, setting his hair on the edge. He sat up, sniffing as he wiped his nose. To his shock, Annabeth was still sitting near him, watching him carefully with tired eyes. Percy felt humiliated. He had already drooled in front of her but crying? That was a new low, even for him.

"Shut up," he muttered, leaning his back against the wall and bringing his knees to his chest.

Annabeth frowned and looked away. Percy looked around. Bianca and Nico were wide awake, talking and gesturing wildly. From their new recruits, only Beckendorf was awake, staring adoringly at Silena who was huddled near Clarisse. Chris was sitting a few feet from them, his head resting against the crook of his neck. Percy stared openly at Beckendorf, remembering vaguely that the guy had a big crush on Silena. It wasn't hard not to. Silena was nice and beautiful, everything every guy wanted but she wasn't Percy's type. Percy wondered if he even had a type.

As they sat there in their silence, Percy's thoughts wondered back to Beckendorf's story, where he had traded possible safety just to find Silena. It seemed pretty touching, Percy admitted and he wondered if he'd be able to do that. The answer came as swiftly as the question. He would trade a hundred lives just to save his mother and Grover. He'd do that over and over again and he would definitely save Annabeth and the others, no matter how stupid that may seem.

Annabeth nudged his shoulder. "Hey."

Percy turned to her, expecting to get ridiculed for crying in his sleep like a baby but Annabeth nodded to the book on her lap and he understood.

"Thanks," she said quietly, barely hiding a shy smile.

Percy smiled back. "It's nothing, Wise Girl."

"It means a lot to me—"

"Don't." He held up a hand. "Don't get sentimental."

She rolled her grey eyes. "Whatever, Seaweed Brain."


	13. Chapter 13

Nico woke everybody up and moved forward, heading to nowhere. Percy still wasn't sure where they were going since even Annabeth didn't have a fucking clue. Percy still wasn't comfortable around her since she had seen him at his most vulnerable so he strayed around in the back, next to Tyson.

"Are we going to stay here?" Tyson asked as they turned a corner.

Percy shrugged. "I don't know, big guy," he murmured.

When it seemed like they had been walking for hours now, Clarisse turned to face them all, looking annoyed and angry. She wasn't the person with the best temper so it wasn't a surprise that she started to nearly shout obscenities and rude stuff about the smell and the tight feeling she had. Percy saw Bianca cover Nico's ears but they were both smiling, their dark eyes alit in a new and beautiful way. That brightened up Percy's day and he tuned in to Clarisse's rant.

"Come on, Chase!" she was saying, whirling around to face Annabeth,"We just can't stay here! Let Silena and I scout the area. Maybe we can find a new place, a new home!"

Annabeth's gaze wavered at the mention of home. Percy remembered their conversation about how she had ran away from her father and how she never had a home to call her own. This was a new chance to start over for her, a new chance to find the home she had desperately longed for. Percy wondered if she'd take the risk.

"We can't bet your life, Clarisse," she said wearily.

Clarisse's brown eyes flashed with anger. "It's my life to risk, Chase," she sneered, "and I'm sure Silena agrees with me! It's better than staying here."

"Staying here is better than going out into the open," Annabeth countered, narrowing her eyes.

"Then what?" Clarisse demanded hotly, "We're just going to stay here like a bunch of chickens and wait for our fucking salvation?"

"If that's what it takes to live, then yes!" Percy had never seen Annabeth get really angry.

Clarisse let out a harsh brittle laugh. "This isn't living," she said lowly, "This is dying!"

Silena stepped forward, trying to grab her arm but Clarisse impatiently pulled away. Beckendorf frowned and Chris sighed, looking pained. The di Angelo siblings' smiles had faded and even Tyson wasn't grinning like a kid. Percy felt as if somebody had doused cold water all over his body. He shivered, wondering why on earth Clarisse was saying all of these things, things that hadn't really crossed his mind. He had been so focused on trying to save everybody that he hadn't thought of what they would all do in the future. As much he hated to admit it, Clarisse was right. This wasn't living; this was dying.

Annabeth opened her mouth but closed it quickly again, looking stunned. From a far distance, she met Percy's eyes and it was as if something unsaid passed between them. Percy gave the slightest of nods and she sighed, looking incredibly tired.

"Fine," she muttered, "you can go out. The rest of us can stay here but Clarisse? Bring Beckendorf with you. I'm sure you both can use some extra hands."

Beckendorf grinned and Clarisse _hmph_ed. Silena turned around and walked over towards Percy. She looked horrible, her hair tangled and her eyes red with not enough sleep. She touched Percy's arm, her face grim.

"Hi," Percy said, realizing that they never had a real conversation yet.

"I'm sorry about Clarisse," Silena murmured.

Percy looked her evenly in the eye. He never understood Clarisse and Silena's friendship but it seemed awesome, from far away since Clarisse was the image of an impatient girl on her period while Silena was all about sunshine and rainbows.

"It's not your fault," Percy said.

"It's been hard on her," Silena said, frowning, "She couldn't contact her dad. It worries her so if she's cranky, remember that she has a good reason."

Percy half smiled. "You really care about her, huh?" he said.

"She's my best friend, Percy," Silena said earnestly, her big blue eyes wide with sincerity.

Percy patted her shoulder awkwardly. Silena smiled.

"I know," he said, "just…just be safe out there, okay? Watch out for yourself. Stick to alleyways. Don't charge those things head on unless absolutely necessary."

Silena nodded fervently and after an awkward moment, she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him so tightly that his chest constricted. He felt her lips against his ear, murmuring a thank-you for saving them yesterday. He found himself nodding as she extracted herself away.

"I'll see you later," she said.

"You too, Silena," he said.

She walked away but not a moment later, Beckendorf took her place. He had his hands shoved to his pockets and there was something troubling plastered on his face. He was looking at Percy almost angrily and Percy couldn't understand why.

"Hey, Beckendorf, what's up?" Percy said casually.

"Is there anything going on between you and Silena?" he asked abruptly.

Percy's face was totally blank and Beckendorf was staring at him accusingly then a circuit in Percy's head clicked and his lips formed a perfect _o._ Beckendorf was _jealous_.

"NO!" he nearly yelled and he saw Tyson and Nico giving him weird looks, "What the fuck, Beckendorf! You know I would never steal your girl. I…I've got much better things to think about than _that_."

Beckendorf still looked suspicious but his hard face softened and he shrugged. He took out one hand from his pocket and stretched it in front of Percy. Percy grinned and shook it, the misunderstanding between he and Silena apparently resolved.

"Be safe," Percy said.

"Don't worry," said Beckendorf roughly, "I can handle myself."

"Keep Silena safe then."

Beckendorf smiled. They parted ways and Percy looked around, surprised to see Annabeth and Nico looking at him. He raised his eyebrows at them and Nico dragged his gaze elsewhere, looking embarrassed but Annabeth was still staring and her grey eyes were hard and her lips tight. Percy racked his brain to find any information that might've offended her but he came up with nothing. Maybe she was still upset about the whole 'nearly-scaring-her-half-death' thing. He shrugged at her and moved next to Tyson who was carrying the supplies, his shovel clenched tightly in one hand.

"You okay up there, bro?" Percy asked, using his skateboard slang which greatly reminded him of the outdoors and the free streets and the wind on his face. His heart ached for those things again, things that might never come back.

Tyson looked surprised. Percy shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Tyson murmured, walking towards the wall and leaning on it. He didn't look fine—there were shadows under his brown eyes and he was no longer smiling.

"You must be tired," Percy said.

"I am," Tyson said, "but I can keep going."

Percy wanted to express his gratitude for having Tyson there since the guy had done a lot for them—helping Percy, snapping Percy out of his daze when he killed Castor and lugging the heavy luggage around. His heart twisted in his chest at the thought of just burdening Tyson and he gave him a pat on the arm since his shoulder was high up.

"I should check on Annabeth," he said.

Tyson just nodded and shut his eyes. Percy frowned before moving towards Annabeth who was watching with a look of uncertainty and worry as Silena followed Clarisse up to the surface with Beckendorf waiting in the rear. Percy reached her side and he bumped her shoulder with his.

"Now what?" he asked.

Annabeth glared at him. Her gaze was almost familiar but he couldn't place it.

"I don't know," she snapped, "Don't expect me to know everything."

"But," Percy pointed out almost sheepishly, "You _do_ know everything."

Annabeth crossed her arms with the book Percy gave her on her chest. Percy stared into those grey eyes and wondered what he had done to make Annabeth _this_ mad.

"I don't," she said warily.

"Yes, yes you do," Percy insisted and he thought for a moment, "What's the capital of Alaska, huh?"

"Juneau," Annabeth answered without blinking, "God, Percy, everybody knows that!"

"_I_ don't," Percy muttered, "I'm not everybody. I'm most certainly not a genius like you."

Annabeth looked like she wanted to say more but she closed her mouth and shook her head, strands of blonde hair flying everywhere. Percy shoved his hands to his pockets and sulked away when it became clear that she didn't want to talk to him anymore. Instead, he strayed over towards the di Angelos who were trying to draw on the sewer wall with sharp ragged rocks.

"What'cha doing?" he asked.

Bianca turned to him but Nico remained focused.

"We're bored," Bianca said, frowning, "It's like a dead city up there."

"It is, unfortunately," Percy admitted.

"Really?" Bianca said and her eyebrows furrowed, "When we went down here, it was just chaos and we could hear screaming from below but now, it's quiet. Really quiet." She paused for a moment, dark eyes unfocused, and then she said, "Everybody killed everybody pretty fast, huh?"

"Hopefully, we won't get killed or eaten."

She turned slightly green and Percy glanced over his shoulder as Beckendorf disappeared into the surface, holding Annabeth's baseball bat. Annabeth was now sighing, her shoulders dropping as she leaned against the sewer wall, her hands fumbling with her book.

"How much time do they have?" he called. He knew that Annabeth would've given them a few hours before they had to come back.

"Three," Annabeth murmured, not looking at him.

Percy's eyes wandered around the group, seeing Tyson sleeping while leaning against the wall, the di Angelo siblings still drawing and Chris Rodriguez sighing irritably before sitting down a far distance from their group. He rubbed his eyes and dropped his head to his knees, falling asleep immediately. Percy didn't want to go back to sleep. He thought about the dream he had the day before and he shuddered, not wanting to see his mother or Grover dead. Unconsciously, he pulled out the wrinkled photo from his back pocket and stared at Grover.

After hearing Beckendorf's story, Percy wanted to think that maybe Grover had escaped with the others but he couldn't bear to know that Grover was the one who left _him_ behind. Maybe Grover had a good reason to leave without looking for him but if Percy had been the one who given the chance for safety in exchange for Grover's life, he wouldn't have taken it without a second thought.

He curled his fingers around the photograph and sighed, closing his eyes and wishing for things to be back to normal again.


End file.
